Bonds of Plasma
by Voyager Wisp
Summary: What's the function of a familial unit? To support each other or work to a common goal? Is there a difference? The Harmonia family tries to do both, though that becomes difficult when their intentions split. Siblings N and Iris work against each other for what they consider the true, or maybe ideal vision of Team Plasma. Canon AU of original BW games.
1. Chapter 1

**Bonds of Plasma**

**1**

A bright, colorful spot on the grass on the horizon had caught his eye. N looked from his friends back over to the abnormal sight in the distance. They smiled and spoke to him, content and approving his own thought to go and see what kind of creature might be in that direction. N ran that way, looking back on his friends to make sure they were alright before going toward his destination.

Once there, N tread carefully, then stopped. He whispered a hello to whoever might be there, then waited for a response. There was only silence, so N took another quiet step, listening closely for any reply or other movement.

"My lord N, is something wrong?"

N shuddered a bit in surprise at the louder sound, having been on alert for something far more subtle, but soon got over it. He turned around, then looked up at the person whose voice he'd recognized. The Goddess of Peace was indeed who stood nearby, carrying a bucket. "Please, Concordia, be careful," N said quietly, pointing toward the brightly colored patch in the distance.

"Is there something over there?" Concordia asked, craning her neck and looking around.

"Can't you see? It's some kind of pokemon," N informed, frowning. Concordia should notice. They were fairly close.

"Where?" Concordia said, still not seeing what was plain in front of her.

N grabbed Concordia's hand, prompted her to lean down to his height. He then pointed. Concordia looked, then smiled, standing up straight again. "Don't worry. That's only my garden."

Concordia walked forward, and N followed at her heals. As he got closer, he could see the large, beautiful flowers up close. They were certainly just plants, and not some kind of grass type pokemon, though they were stunning plants to the eyes. As Concordia began to lean down, gently pouring water near the roots, N frowned in confusion. "So you brought these flowers here?" he asked.

"Yes. Gardening has become a bit of a hobby of mine. I raised these from seeds, and thought I'd plant them here," Concordia explained.

"Why?" N asked. Concordia looked at him with a perplexed expression, so he continued. "Flowers will grow here anyway. Why plant more?"

"No particular reason. I just thought it would be nice for everyone to enjoy them," Concordia explained.

N nodded. Though this garden and the maintenance of it was a harmless thing overall, something about it still bothered him. He stared at the area a moment longer before running off to play with his friends again. It was only when Anthea called that he waved good-bye to everyone and went to join her. "Hey, Anthea, have you see Concordia's garden?" N asked the Goddess of Love as soon as he met up with her.

"Yes! It's very pretty, isn't it? This has been a success for her, with no small thanks to our friends," Anthea said.

N paused, thinking of his pokemon friends enjoying the garden. Though it made him rethink, it eventually pushed forward what he'd been wanting to say in the first place. "She needs to get rid of it."

"Why?" Anthea asked, her eyebrows raising in concern.

"Pokemon might enjoy nature, but gardens like that are part of the human world. It's a travesty to force more of the human world on everyone here, considering what they've been through."

"Oh my," Anthea said, shaking her head as she forced a troubled smile. "You're growing up well, my lord N, always thinking of your friends. But I'd advise you to let this go."

"Why?" N said. "Concordia will listen to me!"

"Yes, dear Concordia will do as you say without an argument, in order to maintain the peace between the both of you. But it will still trouble her, even if she speaks not a word of it. She's worked so hard on this, after all," Anthea pointed out.

N nodded. "It's too bad though. This place is for pokemon, even if we happen to live here. Concordia will have to adjust."

"Well, is her garden truly troubling our friends?" Anthea said, motioning toward where Gothitelle and Gardevoir floated by with buckets of water themselves. "They enjoy it. Even if some of them are reminded of the human world, they love Concordia, and adjust to it themselves for the sake of her happiness."

"They love her," N repeated to himself in a mumble. Yes, Concordia was kind to all the pokemon there, and cared for them as much as N himself. His friends had expressed nothing but love for the Goddess of Peace. Perhaps she should be allowed her garden, even if those who shared this area with the three of them were reminded of their enormous discontent in the world of humans.

N again clenched his fist, clamping his eyes shut as he thought of the idea. "Should we forget about their peace for Concordia's just because of love? Shouldn't peace be there for everyone when there's love?"

"Not at all," Anthea said calmly.

N calmed, looking at Anthea curiously. She was the Goddess of Love, living together with the Goddess of Peace to raise him, so her thoughts on this idea were more valuable than just anyone's.

Anthea again smiled, giving N a pat on the head. "Love and peace can co-exist... But more often than not, you'll have to choose between the two."

"That's not fair. It can't be right," N said.

Anthea shrugged, neither arguing with nor accepting what N had said. "I know you don't feel peace inside your heart at seeing those flowers... But you do feel love for our dear Concordia. I'm sure that love will be there no matter what for both of you, but you'll have to choose between her peace or yours for this situation. You've gotten my advice. The choice is up to you, my lord N."

N nodded. He saw Concordia stepping carefully down the hill to meet them. "Are you ready for lunch?" Anthea asked.

Concordia nodded. "Our lord N saw my garden today! What did you think of it?" she asked, turning to N.

"It's nice," N said. Concordia beamed at him. N was surprised even the brief and unspecific compliment would raise her spirits so. The three of them continued in silence, several of their pokemon friends following them to the house. Once there, N sat in his seat, frowning as he stared into space. He noticed Concordia turn his way with some concern, her former content now gone, but she followed Anthea into the kitchen.

"Did something happen to N?" N could hear Concordia ask from there.

"It's nothing. I'll talk to him," Anthea said. She came and sat next to N, patting his hand. "You've really matured, my lord N. I know in your chosen quest, you'll have to give up your own peace many times over for those you love. It must be difficult, but you've done so unselfishly, with both our friends and Concordia just now."

N looked away. "Is love always like this, Anthea? Suffering for others?"

"Almost always, it is," Anthea said, causing N to look at her in surprise. "Love can be something wonderful, but it means we can be hurt much more easily. It can easily turn into something terrible. So just be careful who you choose to love, my lord N."

"Is it a choice, who we love?" N asked.

Anthea nodded. "Many would argue with me, but I know from experience. Though it can be influenced by circumstance, love is a choice."

And since Anthea was the Goddess of Love, she'd be the one to know the answer to that question for sure. Others had no room to argue, including himself. N passively accepted her words. "I'll be sure to be careful who I choose," he promised.

•

N entered Castelia's well known Central Plaza. He'd hoped it would have been a place to get away from the saturated human presence for a few moments. But of course, this place was also for humans, with only a little consideration to pokemon given. The bit of consideration was that pokemon were even allowed.

Still, N was hesitant to let his friends out. They were often skittish around humans, and this place was full of humans. N took a look around, trying to be wary of any humans that looked like they'd actively try and do his friends harm. There weren't many around. A girl nearby stood with a pignite, trying to straighten her clothing while looking through her bag.

N approached the Pignite, who was eating one of the ice cream cones that N had seen many others around tasting. He approached the pokemon, wondering if it might have some input on if this place was good for N's brought-along friends to play or not. N leaned down, waving at Pignite as it noticed him.

"Pig? Pignite?" the pokemon said questioningly.

"Hello, friend. Tell me, are you new here?" N asked.

"Pignite."

"What do you think of this city so far?" N asked.

"Pignite?" Pignite said, looking up at him. "Pignite!"

"Is that right? Tell me more," N said.

He listened for a little while before the girl nearby spoke up. "Um, excuse me," the trainer looked nervous as she interrupted them. "Um, well, that's my pokemon."

N looked back up. This was a place where he couldn't just converse with pokemon the same as humans, because that was considered abnormal. He also couldn't read human's hearts, though their language often betrayed their hearts. "Your pokemon?" N repeated.

"Yes," the girl said, nodding uneasily though she still wore a smile on her face.

"So, you started a journey with this one," N continued. "From a far away town. I assume Nuvema." N had met several other new trainers from Nuvema on the way over. "Now you're all the way in this city, and it considers you its partner."

"Yeah," Bianca said. "How did you know that though?"

"Hm." N paused, smiling as he looked down at Pignite. "I can understand the hearts of pokemon. With that sentiment, they speak to me."

"Oh," Bianca said.

"Do you really think it's suitable to treat a pokemon like this?" N asked, sighing slightly as he recalled the other responses he'd had to similar questions.

"Like what?" the girl said, as confused as trainers often were. "I mean, I make sure it's taken care of every day..."

"But it's still involved with you. Living with humans. Don't you think Pignite would prefer a more natural setting for its life, outside of that tiny pokeball you carry it in?"

Glancing at the pokeball she held, this trainer appeared to think about N's words. Many did. Sometimes they even became his allies, joining Team Plasma, though N knew well enough by now not to trust any of them as friends. He took another look at the Castelia Cone the pokemon held. "And now you feed it human food," N commented in his displeasure.

"I feed it pokemon food too," the trainer said, looking up at him again.

"That would be difficult. There would be no pokemon food to find here," N explained. "Pokemon can find their own food in their own world, and that's what's best for them, not any human mixture. Don't you think so, Pignite?"

"Pignite!" Pignite declared, moving its Castelia cone to its chest. The ice cream started to melt, and Pignite stared at it just a moment before throwing it to the side. "Pignite!" it said firmly, still looking up at N with a determined expression.

"Oh," N said, taking a deep breath as he thought about Pignite's strange message. "I'm surprised to hear it."

"What is it?" the trainer said, looking first at Pignite, who stared firmly ahead, and then back at N, not knowing what her friend had just said.

"Pignite would like to battle against me, with you," N said, deciding to tell her.

"Pignite!" Pignite nodded, confirming N's translation.

N shook his head, but said nothing else. "Well, if that's really what you'd like, I'd be happy to comply." He took out a pokeball from his own pocket.

"Hey!" the trainer said in surprise. "You have a pokemon in a pokeball too?"

N nodded, peering to the ground before staring back at his human opponent with no further explanation. "Shall we battle?"

"Alright," the trainer said. "If that's what Pignite wants. Getting stronger through battle is also what I want too, though."

"Pignite!" the pokemon said happily.

Interrupting before her opponent threw his pokeball out, the trainer girl asked a question. "Do you mind if I ask your name? I'm Bianca by the way."

"I'm just known as N."

Bianca's eyes widened. "As in the King of Team Plasma?" she asked.

"Oh. You know of our group? Well, yes, that's who I am," N said.

The girl paused a moment. "Yeah, I've heard of you, from my friend, Iris. I guess she's your sister?"

N paused a moment before nodding hesitantly to confirm it. Was Iris near here already? He might ask, but he'd already promised Pignite this battle, so just threw out his own pokeball. "Scraggy. I'll ask for your help with this."

Bianca smiled widely as Scraggy appeared. "Oh, how adorable!" she exclaimed. Bianca took just a step closer. Scraggy narrowed its eyes and stepped back, letting out a harsh sounding cry.

"Please," N began, holding up his hand. "I know you didn't mean any offense, but my friend here has experienced human cruelty, and reads your approaching it as aggression."

"Oh," Bianca said, raising her eyebrows and frowning. "That's too bad."

"However, Scraggy shares my convictions, and wanted to join my quest. It will battle your friend," N said.

Bianca nodded. She put a hand on her hat and pointed forward. Bianca nodded one more time before giving her first command. "Pignite, defence curl!" she said.

N had his strategy in mind already. The other trainers from Nuvema had valued power in their battles, and N had a way to counter that. "Scraggy, try swagger," he said calmly.

Scraggy nodded. As Pignite performed the defence curl attack, it stood, gripping its clothing-like skin and staring forward, a red aura starting to surround it. Bianca studied Scraggy a moment, apparently confused as to what was happening. While Bianca was considering it, Scraggy then narrowed its eyes at Pignite and shouted.

"Pignite!" Pignite shouted.

Bianca looked at it in surprise. "Pignite-" she began.

"You must be a friend of those other trainers from Nuvema. Including Cheren, correct?" N asked.

"Yes, we're friends," Bianca said.

"Just like him, I see you pursue strength with little considerations for anything else," N declared.

"Well-" Bianca began.

N continued without waiting to hear what she'd say. "Well, there are consequences to pushing pokemon to gain too much power too quickly. Let's continue and see!"

Bianca nodded. "Pignite, flame charge!" she ordered.

Pignite shouted loudly as it tried to perform the attack. Bianca watched her pokemon closely, and didn't see the usual smooth movement of the move, where Pignite would approach the opponent's pokemon. Instead, Pignite stood in place with the flaming surrounding it. Eventually, Pignite just shouted in pain, far from its opponent. Scraggy stood close nearby and watched.

The confusion had taken hold, so the battle shouldn't last for much longer, N considered. "Scraggy, try brick break."

Scraggy leapt forward and quickly hit Pignite, which shouted in pain. It then looked around one way and then the other, its eyes wide. "Oh!" Bianca exclaimed as she got a good view of Pignite's eyes. "It's confused," she realized.

"What now, Bianca?" N asked.

"It's over now," Bianca said, holding up her hand. "I concede. You win." After this declaration, Bianca ran over to Pignite, Scraggy scurrying out of the way as she did. Bianca's pokemon jumped in surprise, scratching Bianca by accident. Bianca winced in pain, then took hold of her pokeball. "Return," Bianca said. Pignite went back in the pokeball, then Bianca immediately sent it back out.

"Pignite?" Pignite said, looking around.

"Sorry, Pignite. I just didn't want you to get hurt anymore," Bianca said.

"Pignite," Pignite consoled, tapping her arm in consolation, then noticing the scratch it had caused before. "Pignite?!" it said.

"I'm fine," Bianca said with a smile. "I just hope you are."

"Pignite," Pignite said with a nod.

N approached them after returning Scraggy to its pokeball. This was surprising to him, indeed. He'd thought for sure Bianca would be the same as many cruel trainers, and just push her pokemon to its limits. He scratched his head. "You didn't want to see what the end result would be?" N asked Bianca. "I know I was having Scraggy take a risk. Pignite's strength would be increased in the rage."

"Strength isn't all that's important," Bianca said absent-mindedly as she dug through her bag.

"Oh? Well, I didn't think trainers like you existed. Strength still is important though, or isn't it?" N asked.

"Of course it is," Bianca said. "I want to get stronger, so I have to try, even if I can't. It's hard, but I'm going to keep trying for them."

"Your friends from Nuvema?"

"No, my pokemon," Bianca said. She took a bottle out of her bag, but it was an antidote, not a potion. "They're the ones here supporting me, so I have to support them just as much," Bianca said, now looking at N.

N smirked, silent now. He took something out from his pocket, and handed it to Bianca. "Keep them all safe on your journey, then," he said.

Bianca looked at the bottle N had given her. A simple potion. "I will. Thanks," she said, then sprayed Pignite to make sure it was completely okay. Afterward, she turned around, shouting as she saw the remaining Castelia Cones, which Pignite had inadvertently melted during the battle.

N turned around as Bianca apologized to her pokemon and cried over the loss. Perhaps it would be alright to release his friends from their pokeballs here. Scraggy had been alright during even a battle. He shouldn't underestimate their strength, even if he wanted to protect them.

"Hey!"

N turned around, seeing his cross sister approaching. Bianca waved her hands at Iris in a friendly way. Iris just at Bianca with a concerned expression, then walked past her, crossing her arms and glaring at N. "What are you doing here, N?!" she demanded.

N looked down at Iris silently before turning away. There was no way he could respond to her. She'd just continue being confrontational.

"Hey!" Iris shouted again. "You'd better leave Bianca alone, okay? I won't stand for it if you bully her."

N glanced over his shoulder briefly. "Bianca. Be sure to take all precautions on your journey, for the sake of the pokemon that accompany you." As Bianca briefly nodded at him, he turned and walked away.

So, she was here already, N thought to himself. From what he'd heard, she wasn't going to arrive until at least a day later. Well, in either case, he hadn't wanted to see her.

Then again, maybe it wasn't that bad. After all, seeing Iris reminded him of his own convictions, and reasons he should believe what he believed. Despite himself, N did turn around and look at his adoptive sister. Iris was smiling now, not paying attention to him at all. Instead, she was paying attention to that trainer with the pokemon that Scraggy had just overpowered.

Pignite's reactions were different than N was used to. There had been a few other pokemon he'd met like that, loyal to their trainers to a fault. With pokemon that felt the way the one with Bianca did, and Bianca acting how she had around her pokemon, N somewhat wavered in his own mission. N peered at Bianca now, who spoke to Iris easily and happily, the same as she'd just spoken to her own pokemon. Then Bianca put Pignite back in the pokeball, and wandered off with Iris.

So, Bianca wasn't different after all. Well, humans that interacted with pokemon while calling themselves 'trainers', they could certainly vary. Bianca, the weak trainer, as compared to her friends, who were stronger and better at battling, did. However, they were still all the same, containing their pokemon when not using them like tools. N turned his head, sure to not be in the last spot that Iris had seen him, though he'd still wanted to enjoy this park with everyone for a little while.

So when N found a spot free of people, he took out his pokeballs, tossing them out one by one. All of his friends didn't need to be told, they knew that N had brought them here to have some fun during their long, unending travels. N was sure to thank them, using the pokemon's own words, for staying by his side, though he knew it would be much easier if they just ran away, which they could do at any time.

N watched the various people walking by, some with pokemon, others with other humans, including children. Human children were supposed to be innocent, like pokemon, but N was just as wary of them as the adults. Young humans were also humans, and just as flawed as the rest of them. N had made the mistake of accepting one young human as innocent and unaffected by the world around her a while ago, and he wouldn't make that mistake again.

Ghetsis had brought Iris to N's home out of the blue several years ago. Iris was fairly small then, shorter than even Darmanitan at the time. "It would be an affront to have her here," N had said at the time. "Please, take her away. It will only upset the pokemon here to have a human other than myself," he continued, pointing to the door.

"She's only a child," Ghetsis said. "She has no other place to go. I'd like you to take care of her, the same as the pokemon I bring you."

"I refuse," N said, stomping his feet on the ground, glaring hatefully at the girl that had just arrived, who disappeared around the corner.

"You'd refuse her the same kindness that I offered you? What do you say about that, Goddess of Love?" Ghetsis turned to Anthea.

"Does she really have no place to go?" Anthea said, frowning. "I say we do our best to care for her then. My lord N, please understand that love is only as limited as those on Earth imagine it to be. You can extend your love to your pokemon friends as well as this young human girl. Return the kindness that was offered you."

"I agree with Anthea," Concordia offered her opinion. "And just look..." Concordia took N's hand, dragging him over to the window. "I don't think it will disrupt the peace to have her here. She's getting along well already."

N stared out the window. Iris had found his friend Purloin. Surprisingly enough, Purloin allowed Iris to come near it, then leapt above her head. Iris laughed, and stared at the pokemon, but didn't torment it by chasing it. Instead, she leaned down. "Come here," she said, waving her hand. Even as Purloin shied away, she smiled. "It's okay."

N didn't watch any longer, instead went right outside. "Don't bother it," he said. "This pokemon is separate from humans. It doesn't want you nearby."

Iris didn't reply then, but her jovial expression disappeared. She ran to Ghetsis as he came into the courtyard, and looked up at him with hesitation. "It's alright, Iris," Ghetsis assured. "This is the new family I promised you."

Iris's eyes lit up, but she still looked away from N hesitantly after meeting eyes with him, then said nothing else.

"This isn't really a family," N protested. "Here, we live away from all human constructs, including that one. We simply exist here for pokemon. Isn't that what you told me?"

Iris furrowed her brow, confused about what N had said. Instead of commenting, she turned to Ghetsis, waiting for what he had to say. "Indeed, family is just something that humans pretend at. So if we wanted, we could as well. I could say you're all my children, including Iris, and you all could be siblings to each other."

"I would-" Iris began.

"Don't be foolish!" N shouted, interrupting her. As he did, Iris closed her mouth, her lower lip rising. The little girl backed off from N, then ran out of the courtyard, pushing past Anthea and Concordia.

"Iris," Concordia called, looking around the hall. "Come back, it's okay," she assured, then turned back into the courtyard.

"N, this isn't-" Anthea began, but Concordia held up her hand to stop her.

"It's not us he'll listen to," Concordia said.

N wasn't comfortable at all with Iris's reaction. He didn't really hate humans like pokemon did. After all, though born from pokemon, N happened to be human himself. It's just he was in charge of helping pokemon separate their world from the human world though, so of course he couldn't just sit there and accept Iris here, in the rare part of the world that was for pokemon alone.

As N thought this, Purloin came out from hiding. It glared at N poignantly, then turned away. "Nyaa," it let out the short call before yawning.

"I understand," N muttered. He resembled the humans he wanted to separate his friends from around Iris just then. Humans would stamp their feet without care too, and upset all of the pokemon, just to meet their own ends. N turned to Ghetsis. "Yes, I understand. I still have my reservations, but if it's necessary, she can stay."

"Good. There's really no need for even those reservations," Ghetsis said. "Though Iris is a human, she's just like the pokemon you care for. She has been a victim of human cruelty, and prefers the company of pokemon. So you see, with the right teaching, she can help you. This girl could be a valuable ally in your fight."

Hearing Iris compared to his pokemon friends, N thought further on his mistake. "I understand," he said. Without a word, he began walking off through the castle to find his new young companion. Hearing the laughter echoing through the halls, he had an idea where he might she may have gone.

Iris was indeed in his old playroom, the one that was now reserved for his pokemon friends that may enjoy it. N became cross at seeing it, noticing Iris running around, and then down the slide. When N thought of that, he frowned. Iris noticed him at that exact moment. Seeing his discontent expression, she ran away and hid. N sighed. He then noticed an unfamiliar pokemon in there as well, a fraxure, which looked around in search of something. "Fraxure?" it said.

N knew it was Iris that the pokemon was looking for, being able to read its heart. He also knew it would be able to locate her quicker than him, so just followed Fraxure to where Iris was, in the small space under the slide. Iris at first grinned at Fraxure, then saw N. Her expression changed to a sheepish one, and she looked down.

"Come on out," N said calmly. As Iris did so, his expression lightened, and he smiled. "Since you're a person that cares for pokemon, I'll welcome you here. As long as you're willing to follow our mission, that is."

"Ah- I will!" Iris promised loudly. She scurried out from under the play equipment and stood tall, clenching her fist to show her determination. "Dad says you're trying to help pokemon. I want to help pokemon too! Always!"

N blinked a moment in confusion, wondering why the girl's father would know, then realized she was referring to Ghetsis. "Ghetsis told you, right?" he asked. As Iris nodded, he continued. "So, you really think that man can be your father?"

"Yeah!" Iris exclaimed. "Why not? He said since my dad - and my mom - since my whole family is gone now, you all can be my new family. Even you can be my brother... Right?"

N shrugged. Since that was the construct this child was used to, she'd feel more comfortable if they applied those terms. Even if it wasn't exactly the relationship between those here, N didn't feel that offended. For her sake, he wouldn't object. "Alright," N agreed.

Iris grinned happily, then looked toward Fraxure. The two exchanged glances, both of their expressions showing their pleasure with the idea.

"Did you bring Fraxure with you?" N asked.

"Yeah. It's my pokemon, from my village," Iris said.

"It can stay as well, and be friends to us here. I have a lot of pokemon friends living here already. They're just as important, if not more important than 'family', understand?"

Iris nodded. "Pokemon can be family too! This is Fraxure's new family too, right?"

N nodded, happy it seemed this girl understood the importance of his friends, and seemed to value them highly enough to include them in her concept of 'family'. "Let's go introduce it, and you, to everyone else."

Iris nodded, taking out a pokeball. "Fraxure-" she began.

"Wait," N began, frowning. Iris paused, looking up at him expectantly. "Pokemon shouldn't be confined by human contraptions like that."

"A pokeball? It helps us get them get around," Iris said.

N shook his head. "We don't believe that here. Pokemon exist for themselves. They shouldn't have to confine themselves for the sake of humans."

Iris raised an eyebrow, standing silently. She stared at the pokeball, then back at N, waiting for him to continue.

N decided to rephrase what he'd said. "All pokemon here can wander free. So pokeballs are unnecessary."

"Okay! Sounds fun!" Iris exclaimed. Now that she completely understood, she threw the pokeball to the side, then looked at N for approval, smiling.

N nodded. At the time, he'd thought she would be quick to learn, easily accepting the idea that pokemon didn't need pokeballs to belong in the world. As the days, weeks, and even years went on, Iris happily absorbed anything he said. She would absolutely help him to liberate pokemon, he'd thought. Only with in hindsight could N see the small signs of how wrong he was about Iris.

"What about the ones that want to live with humans?" Iris had asked one day when N was trying to explain the totality of their mission. He hadn't found it alarming at the time because many of those he spoke to and were now his allies had similar questions. Iris appeared to accept N's answer that pokemon needed to be completely separate from humans to truly be free, and those that thought they wanted to live with humans had a forced dependence on them.

Apparently Iris had only verbally accepted N's teachings, just nodding her head like she understood while never letting the message go to her heart. N couldn't read human hearts, so he didn't know he was not only wasting his time but also harming his mission until much later. There had been a few other small signs, such as Iris asking several times if even she would have to be completely separate from her pokemon friends. The answer was yes, eventually, of course. The absolute ideal could be difficult to accept, which was why the world stagnated. Liking the company of his pokemon friends as well, N didn't find it too disturbing that Iris became upset at this fact. It wasn't until one specific afternoon that N figured out that Iris wasn't at all what he'd thought.

It had started out the same as many of their other outings. N had just come back from meeting with other Team Plasma members, and decided to spend some time with his adoptive sister, not having seen her for a few weeks. Together, they wandered into the beautiful forest by their home, the same he'd always enjoyed seeing all of his friends run freely in. N stepped gently on the leaves, with Iris and Haxorus nearby. "It will be satisfying when the entirety of the pokemon world will be like this, with all pokemon there," N said.

Iris nodded, walking along his side. When they reached their usual spot, she took out the food that Anthea and Concordia had given them. She bit down on one of the sandwiches, then offered one to N, who gladly took it. "Hey, Haxorus, you're really hungry too, right?" Iris grinned as Haxorus roared, and handed a sandwich its way as well.

"No, Iris," N said, grabbing her arm before Haxorus was able to take the food. "You know better."

Iris stood up suddenly, crossly glaring at N before giving the food to Haxorus again. N stared at her in surprise, and Iris smirked. "I'll give my pokemon food if it's hungry."

N paused a moment. That had been the first time Iris had actively ignored his advice. She must only be thinking of the pokemon, he mistakenly thought to himself, then nodded at her. "Fine, Iris, but did you forget that Haxorus lives here freely now?"

Iris shrugged. They now sat in silence, other that the happy cries of pokemon nearby. Iris appeared contented, forgetting the previous tiff, and was eating up a lot of the well-prepared food made for them. "Oh," Iris suddenly gasped, looking up from her meal and to the sky. A sole pidove floated by.

"How nice," N said. "This pokemon lives in the pokemon world, free from all influence of humans, including ourselves. Take note, Iris. This isn't something humans normally get to observe, and it won't be able to be observed at all after our worlds are completed separated."

Iris suddenly frowned. She stood up, brushing off her clothing. "Let's go, Haxorus," she said.

"What is it?" N said, noticing the change in her demeanor.

"Well, you know N, I can hear the voices from pokemon's hearts just as good as you," Iris said.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh?" Iris said, holding a hand to her ear. "Can't you hear it?" she asked. N looked around. Haxorus was silent, and their other friends had wandered too far away to hear. N looked back at Iris as she laughed. "You can't? That's too bad," she said.

N realized he was being mocked. He'd said similar things to Iris, when he could hear the voices of pokemon's hearts that she was deaf to. Hurt that Iris would do such a thing, N said nothing.

Iris grinned, waving her hand to Haxorus. "Pidove says it wants to be my pokemon," she informed, taking out a pokeball. "I'm gonna catch it!"

N went from hurt to incensed. "Don't, Iris," he said, grabbing hold of the arm with the hand that held the empty pokeball.

Iris looked at N crossly, yanking her arm away. N didn't make any further attempt to stop her as she ran toward the pidove which had now landed on a branch nearby. It cooed peacefully, unaware of the approaching threat. "Iris, this isn't right," N protested.

"I'm just catching a pokemon. It's something that happens every day," Iris said.

"But unlike most humans, you know why it isn't right," N said. Iris still faced away from him, walking toward the wild pokemon. "Pidove, quickly! Get away!"

The pidove looked up, alerted to the humans' presence. It fluffed up its feathers and let out a more aggressive call, ready for battle.

"It looks like this is just my kind of pokemon," Iris said. "Listen, N. Pidove is saying it wants to fight me. Alright, Pidove. And when I win and catch you, I'll teach you how to get better and better at battling! That's what you really want, huh?"

"Stop it, Iris," N begged. Iris catching this pokemon like this, it was far worse than just any human catching any pokemon. This was Iris, the girl he'd accepted as a 'sister', who he'd thought really accepted all of his ideals trying to catch a pokemon by his home. How could she about face on him like this, so much to pick up a pokeball again, and catch a pokemon which was truly free from human influence out here, the way N hoped for all pokemon?

"Haxorus, slash attack! Don't overdo it!" Iris ordered. The much larger pokemon lunged at the flying type pokemon, hitting it and knocking it out before it could do anything else. Then, Iris threw her pokeball. After taking pidove inside, the pokeball barely shook before quieting. Iris went and picked it up, raising it up in triumph. "Alright! We've got a new friend, Haxorus."

N practically shook with rage. This girl, welcomed into the sanctuary N promised the pokemon when she most needed the help, how could she do something like this, and so easily? Looking at the pokeball that Iris had been carrying, N could guess she had premeditated the action and became all the angrier. "Let that pokemon go, Iris!" he said.

Iris glanced toward N calmly, raising an eyebrow as if she had just noticed his presence. "Oh? If you think I should, why don't you battle me? Go ahead, waste all that energy on some weak pokemon."

"Strength doesn't determine worth! That idea is something from the human world!"

"But strong pokemon get what they want, even in the wild, right?" Iris pointed out. "Maybe humans are the ones that make it fairer for the weaker ones. I'm gonna give Pidove as much as it needs, just like Haxorus, even though Haxorus is way stronger."

"You-" N began.

"But why do you keep saying stupid stuff about 'pokemon world' and 'human world' anyway?" Iris asked, glancing at N though she didn't expect an answer. "You keep saying it all the time, like pokemon are on the moon or something. But they're not. There's just one world, you know. There's no separate pokemon world for pokemon to go to, unless you're one of those people that think pokemon came from space." Iris briefly laughed at the idea before she walked past N and gathered the remnants of their lunch, heading back to the castle.

He should have never accepted her into this place, N thought at the time. Though she was a victim of human cruelty, she was also destined to become a cruel human herself. Only N himself was destined to liberate pokemon. Other humans could help him personally, but the task to help the pokemon fell to him and him alone. As King of Team Plasma, he'd do just that. Even if the world didn't exist for pokemon yet, he'd forge a new one where they could all finally live in peace.

Surrounded by his pokemon friends in Castelia City, N knew now that Iris wasn't just one example of those who mistakenly brought pokemon into the human world, but the most active threat to his quest. Though she was overall insignificant, with her knowledge of both Team Plasma and himself, she may eventually become a roadblock.

He'd chosen the wrong person to extend his love to.


	2. Chapter 2

2

Iris and Fraxure laughed, staring at Purrloin as it spun like a top, falling down the slide. "Nyao," Purloin said in a low voice, bobbing its head before falling on the floor again. Iris laughed still louder at the comical scene, pointing as she did.

She hadn't originally noticed as N behind her. His heavy footsteps as he came closer alerted her, and Iris became quiet as she turned and noticed N's serious expression as he went to observe Purrloin. "Um, is it okay?" Iris asked.

N only scowled, refusing to even look at her. "Can't you just leave everyone alone?" he asked. "Fraxure is used to you, but everyone else here isn't. So just leave them alone."

"I know. They'll get used to me though, right?" Iris said.

"I don't want them to have to get used to you hurting them," N said. He picked up Purrloin, which had mostly calmed down, staring down at Iris from N's arms quietly.

Iris's eyes widened. "We were just playing! I didn't mean to hurt it! Hey, is it okay? Is it-"

"Just because you didn't mean to doesn't mean it didn't happen. That's typical human self-centeredness," N said.

"I-" Iris began.

"Just leave, Iris. Isn't dinner almost ready?" N said.

Iris nodded silently, and then went out the door, Fraxure following her. She was kind of hungry. Thinking that, Iris started to run, then got to the kitchen, where she could smell all sorts of good things. Iris gave a happy sigh, then headed over to the pot. She stood on her tip toes as she lifted up the lid, and looked inside, seeing a soup full of all sorts of delicious-looking ingredients.

Well, her sisters wouldn't mind too much if she sampled it beforehand, Iris considered. She went and got a spoon, then dipped it in, taking a taste. "It's good," Iris commented, then turned to Fraxure. "You want a turn?"

"Fraxure!" Fraxure confirmed.

Iris filled the spoon to the top so her pokemon friend would get an extra-good taste, then reached to give it to Fraxure. As Fraxure took the spoon, it flipped to the floor. "Ah!" Iris reached to get it, and as she did, knocked the whole pot over.

"Fraxure!" Fraxure exclaimed, stepping back from the hot liquid.

"What should we do," Iris questioned, frowning as she looked down at the mess, which was partially on her clothes. She sighed, closing her eyes. As she opened them, she was met with Anthea's cross expression.

"Iris! What did you do? Why couldn't you wait? That took so long to make for everyone!" Anthea said.

"Sorry," Iris said, looking to the floor and frowning.

Anthea closed her eyes and looked away. "Are you going to help clean up?" she asked, then looking at Iris's clothing. "Well, you should clean yourself up first. Just go do that."

Iris agreed to that easily, walking slowly down the hall to the room designated to her. Reaching it and touching the doorknob, Iris realized there was something missing. "Fraxure?" she called.

Looking down the hall, Iris saw nothing. The silence was a bit intimidating, especially in this wide-open castle-like place. Iris opened the door, ran in, then slammed it shut before that stillness swallowed her.

Inside wasn't much better, still uncomfortably quiet, with not even a breeze or the sound of the outside to fill the area, since the one window couldn't be opened. There wasn't much on the walls either, so her room seemed the same kind of sterile void as most of the house, N's playroom and the kitchen aside.

Iris noted the mess on the floor that was completely hers, the books she'd been reading and clothing she'd worn the other day all scattered around, and tried to find comfort in that. Iris quickly changed, adding her soiled clothing to the mess, then went to the door again. "Fraxure?" Iris called. She listened, and heard nothing, then backed into her room again. So, even Fraxure had left her.

Iris thought of the scoldings she'd gotten from her new siblings and wiped her eyes. At home, she'd often done naughty things like tease pokemon or make a mess. Then, her mom and dad hadn't let it go without comment, but they'd just sighed, helping her make it right so everyone could feel better. Here, no one wanted her.

She wanted to cry. Before Iris knew it, she was crying. She tried to wipe it on her sleeve, and snivel in silence, but couldn't stop. The idea of going down the stairs and facing her new family only made the tears fall more.

The door creaked open. Iris saw Concordia peek in, and wiped her eyes more, trying to smile but failing. Concordia frowned. "Iris, what's wrong?"

"I-I-" Iris began, gasping for breath. "I know nobody wants me here."

"That's not true," Concordia assured. "We all welcomed you here, you know. We're your family."

"It is true," Iris insisted. "I'm not real family like you guys. My family's gone. You all don't like me."

Smiling calmly, Concordia walked over to her new sister, putting her arm around the young girl. "Well, I suppose I can't change your mind if you don't want it changed. But I will let you know, if you keep thinking like that, it'll become your reality."

Iris frowned, swallowing. Though she'd stopped crying, those words were heavy. Maybe she'd wanted Concordia to convince her she was wrong, but it turned out that Iris's worries were the truth after all.

"Don't look so down, Iris. After all, if you think of us all as your family, that can also become the truth."

Iris picked her face up. That was what she's wanted to hear. It was what she believed after Ghetsis had promised, though now that her new father had been gone a while, she'd been doubting it. "How can I make it true?"

"Lord N, Anthea, and myself we've all already accepted you as our sister. Maybe you don't know it, but I know myself and the two of them, so I do! Just trust me, who knows it to be true, then believe it yourself. Then accept us as well, and we're already family."

Iris squeezed Concordia tight in a hug. "I do accept you! I wanna be the best sister!"

Concordia sighed, running her hand through Iris's hair. "Are you ready to help out with dinner then?"

Iris nodded. She took Concordia by the hand and dragged her down the stairs. Everything was okay. As long as she believed it was so, these people weren't strangers they really were a new family for her.

•

Walking along with Bianca down the Castelia City street, Iris frowned. She'd been cross to see N. It wasn't just seeing him in general, but seeing that he'd been bothering Bianca that put her in a bad mood. But now that she was walking along with Bianca, it was hard to stay in that kind of mood. Bianca was so excited to see her, and pointed out various interesting stores and such in the city. "Oh! There's the stand for the famous Castelia cones! I hope they're not all sold out..."

"I don't think they will be," Iris said. She ran ahead, dragging Bianca behind her, and then took their place on line.

"Well, I hope not. If they are, I'll just get my pokemon some tomorrow," Bianca spoke positively. "Hm, I think I'll stay here for another day or so before I go to Nimbasa anyway."

"Oh? You're going there already?" Iris asked.

"Well, yeah. I've been in Castelia for a while. There's a lot to see here. I didn't rush to Nimbasa since I heard from Burgh that Elesa will be gone for a while. But there's a lot to see there too, so I'll go soon."

"Is that right. Sounds fun!" Iris said.

"Yeah. I'm really happy to be able to do so much when I travel... I'm happy to be here with you now, Iris."

Seeing Bianca beaming at her, Iris blushed. Today was supposed to be a 'date', wasn't it. Bianca had properly accepted it as such and all. Remembering that, Iris completely forgot the previous upset, and delved into her light-hearted feeling. When they got to the stand, she spoke up right away. "Five, please," she said. "Wait. Bianca, did you want another one?"

"Oh no, thanks," Bianca declined.

"Okay. You'll have to let me treat you sometime today though, not just your pokemon," Iris said. "Promise?"

"Sure," Bianca agreed.

Getting the cones, Iris and Bianca wandered back to the park, allowing Bianca's pokemon to run around and enjoy the treats. Iris saw Bianca looking toward her pokemon, and then decided to do something to get her attention, grabbing her hand, a little nervous about what Bianca's reaction might be. However, Bianca just looked back at her, that pleasant, contented smiled on her face. Iris smiled back.

There was really no reason to be nervous around this girl at all, Iris realized, cozying up closer to Bianca as they walked through the park. Bianca liked her as well, that was why this date had been accepted. Iris only needed to relax and have fun, then Bianca would likely also feel at ease. Remembering their mutual interest in pokemon, Iris thought of her own friends. "Do you mind if I bring out everyone? They would be jealous of your pokemon's treats, but since they're all done..."

"Go ahead, Iris," Bianca invited.

Iris nodded, and threw out the five pokeballs she'd been carrying around. Bianca was surprised as she saw the mostly large pokemon appear. There were the three that Bianca recognized - Haxorus, Iris's longest friend stood tall next to its trainer, Lapras scooted around in the nearby stream, and Unfezant cast a shadow over them as it flew through the sky. Bianca also saw two unfamiliar, distinctly dragon types. Bianca looked from those pokemon to Iris, and saw Iris's head lift up with a self-satisfied expression. "My other pokemon look really impressive too, huh?"

"Yeah." Bianca nodded.

"Well, it's not just how they look. If you saw these guys in battle, you'd be even more impressed. They have awesome moves, and win every time," Iris said with a nod.

"Well, what kind of pokemon are they?" Bianca asked.

"Oh. I shouldn't be rude and not introduce them," Iris said. She turned to the scary-looking floating one. "This is Hydreigon. Dad gave it to me when it was just a little deino."

"Oh, I know deino," Bianca said. Reading about them, they'd never become her favorite species or anything, but she'd thought they were a little cute, and was intrigued by them. In this evolved form, Bianca could more easily tell they were part dark type, part dragon type. Though she was sure Iris's would be nice, she couldn't deny it looked a little scary, especially as it looked at her with those red eyes. Bianca decided to show her best face to the pokemon. It would be rude to react negatively or shy away for no reason. "Nice to meet you, Hydreigon," she said. Even as Hydreigon let out an otherworldly shriek in response, she faced it without flinching.

Iris also acted as if her pokemon's reaction was normal, and turned to the other one. "And here's Druddigon. I caught it just a little while ago. I thought it would be a cool, powerful partner. It's a dragon type, so no surprise I was right!"

"It is pretty cool," Bianca admitted. Together, Iris and her team were very cool looking indeed. She watched as Hydreigon approached her pansage. Pansage looked up at it warily, and still stared at it while backing away, eventually climbing up on Bianca's shoulder. Bianca smiled at her pokemon. "It's alright Pansage, you go and play," she said.

After waiting just a moment, Pansage jumped down from her shoulder, and then hopped around, tugging on Hydreigon's tail. The floating dragon type let out an intimidating-sounding shriek. Pansage just waved as the larger pokemon turned around to face it. Then it ran away, again waving a hand to invite Hydreigon to chase.

Bianca giggled as she watched the playful tag-like game her and Iris's pokemon began to play. Pokemon could just be pokemon. They could battle one moment and then be friends later like this. Bianca felt all the more contented, thinking about how lucky she was to be a pokemon trainer.

Iris's hand suddenly touched Bianca's, and Bianca looked over at her in a start. Iris looked at Bianca, then away shyly. Bianca grinned, grabbing Iris's hand and squeezed it reassuringly. She was sure to keep the pleasant expression as Iris turned back to her. Iris blushed, but then grinned herself, apparently still a little awkwardly, it seemed to Bianca. It was kind of cute, Bianca considered. "Iris," she began.

"Y-yeah?" Iris said, still keeping up her face, happy Bianca was talking now as she had gotten caught up wondering what to say.

"So you like girls?" Bianca asked.

Iris tried to stop herself from frowning. "Of course I do! That why I- Um, well, don't you like girls too, Bianca?"

"Like girls... Like that?" Bianca paused, and Iris gave a slight nod before looking away. "Well, I've never really thought about it, for girls, or even boys. But I kind of like you, Iris. It's nice you wanted to go out with me."

Iris was much more pleased with this statement from Bianca, and grinned happily, squeezing Bianca's hand back tightly herself. "It's the same for me!" she declared, then stopped, thinking she'd spoken too soon. "I mean, well, I guess I've always liked girls. But no girl as much as you," Iris clarified. She didn't think back on her words until she'd said them. Now doing so, Iris's face became even hotter, thinking that it was way too soon to say something like this to her first date. "Um, I mean-"

"That's really nice, Iris," Bianca said, her face showing that she really did think the way she spoke. Iris was relieved as she observed that. "Well then, let's be sure to have fun today. Where else would you like to go?"

"Oh, well," Iris began, nervous again now that she realized she hadn't thought of that. She'd had other planning on her mind, and just thought over and over again how excited she was to be able to spend time with Bianca. "I don't really know Castelia City that well," she said. She didn't, at least as far as where to take Bianca on a date, and where the other girl might like to go.

"I don't either, but I've been trying to see everything it has to offer while I'm here," Bianca said. "Oh!" I know! There's one place I've wanted to visit, but I keep forgetting."

"Where's that?" Iris asked.

"Burgh's gallery. He had such beautiful paintings up in his gym. I know there's got to be even more there, and he said there was work from other Castelia City artists as well. It's a must visit!"

Iris had been relieved that Bianca had her own suggestions, but after she finished speaking, felt all the more awkward. "Burgh, like the guy who's a gym leader in this city?"

"Yeah!" Bianca confirmed. "He's an artist. You didn't know that?"

Iris had heard something like that, but hadn't considered it important enough to remember. "Um, yeah. You want to go somewhere where you'd run into him? Wouldn't that be awkward, meeting him like that before you challenge him again?"

"No," Bianca said. Burgh, along with all other gym leaders she'd met so far, didn't mock her or anything as she'd lost, unlike some traveling trainers. It would actually be a pleasure to see him again. "He's really nice. But I don't think he'd be there anyway, he's busy in his gym this time of day."

"Okay. Let's go then," Iris said. "Hey, everyone!" she called to her pokemon. Iris's pokemon lined up in front of her, Lapras coming as close as it could in the small area of water, and Bianca's pokemon followed their new friends. "Hope you've had fun, but we're going further into the city now. Today's not the day for battles, understand?" As Iris paused, her pokemon let out various loud cries. "Okay then. Don't worry, you know I'll make it up to you later."

With that declaration, Iris took out her pokeballs, returning her pokemon one at a time. Bianca did the same. The girls then walked off arm in arm. Iris grinned. She wasn't much into looking at paintings, or other 'artsy' stuff like that, but going anywhere with Bianca was fun. Even simply walking through the crowded city with Bianca next to her, Iris felt elated. "Here we are," Bianca said as they were in front of the boring looking building.

"Oh," Iris said. She let go of Bianca's arm as they went through the door, and still as Bianca used some passes Burgh had given her to get them both in for free. Iris again felt a surge of happiness as Bianca grabbed her hand again as they went inside the gallery, and they began to walk around.

"Oh, that must be Burgh's work," Bianca said, running close to the overly green picture of several sewaddle, and confirming it as she looked at the label. "Burgh really loves bug type pokemon, especially this one. You can really tell with this picture, huh?"

"Yeah," Iris said. She had to admit the guy was good at what he did, even if she wasn't interested. "Oh!" Iris exclaimed, looking across the way.

"What's that?" Bianca said. She walked over with Iris to the picture that had caught her eye.

"Amazing," Iris said. It was a picture of many haxorus, and a few of their pre-evolutions, all with the familiar legends, Reshiram and Zekrom, flying above them in the sky. "This painting looks awesome. I'd love to be there! Do you think it's something that really happened?" Iris turned to Bianca.

"Well, it would have been a long time ago."

"A long time ago, in-" Iris paused, looking at the picture's title underneath, then peered to the ground.

"'The Valley of the Dragons'," Bianca read the title.

"Oh," Iris said, realizing she'd misread the title. It didn't look anything like the place she'd been thinking of, anyway. "I guess it would have been a long time ago," she said. "I can't think of any one place so many powerful dragon types are at once! If there was a place, I'd go there, and fill the last slot for my active party."

"Yeah... Also, if Reshiram and Zekrom were ever around, it would have been a long time ago," Bianca added.

"Oh, right," Iris said, her eyes going from the pokemon painted on the ground to the two painted in the sky. She'd been setting her sights kind of low. Though Haxorus was an awesome dragon type, according to legend, those two were immeasurably powerful dragon types, more than worthy of her attention.

The pair went around the rest of the gallery, which was full of paintings of different pokemon. Bianca's attention went to the more cute and colorful drawings, which Iris also enjoyed. More than that was Bianca's reaction to enjoy. "Oh, look, it's of the elemental monkeys! Pansage looks so happy, too. And so many lillipup! I love these pokemon, even in person they're so fun to play with. Don't you think it's sweet?" Bianca turned to Iris, excited.

"Yeah," Iris agreed, looking at Bianca more than the painting in front of her.

"Oh? Miss Bianca?" the person next to them said.

"Ah-" Bianca began, surprised at a person she recognized from Striaton being all the way over here in Castelia.

He nodded. "This is actually one of mine... I've just had some of my work displayed today. Burgh was too kind to do so. Mine don't reflect as much as experience and finesse as the rest of the art in the gallery."

"I think it's really great, Cress. Are they supposed to be your and your brother's pokemon?" Bianca asked.

"Of course," Cress said with a nod. "Though many others in Striaton train these species of pokemon, mine and my brother's would be my true inspiration." Cress lifted his head to look to Bianca's side, seeing the person next to Bianca for the first time. His eyes widened a moment in surprise.

"Hey," Iris greeted with a wave.

"Oh, this is-" Bianca began.

"We've met," Iris said. "It's been a while... Well, no, really, we just saw each other. I was in the gym in Striaton to battle them all."

"Oh?" Bianca said. "I didn't know you were challenging gyms, Iris. Did you get the badge?"

"Well," Iris began, looking to the side. "I'm not really... Challenging. Like a normal trainer, I mean. I did take the badge though, since I won."

Bianca nodded. She noticed the other two brothers, Cilan and Chili, walking their way. "Hello, Miss Bianca... And Miss Iris?" Cilan said, raising an eyebrow.

"Nice to see you again," Chili said, looking to Bianca, then over to Iris warily.

"You guys too. We're busy though," Iris said, tugging Bianca's arm ever so slightly to pull her away. Bianca followed along, waving to the boys before they went. Iris brought her to the small gift shop. There were all sorts of boring things there, like postcards of the art they'd seen, as well as general merchandise of the city. Iris groaned.

"What's wrong?" Bianca asked.

"I wanted to treat you to something nice... But there's nothing here, and I have to get going... Right now really, sorry... So, well, we can't go anywhere else," Iris apologized.

"It's okay, Iris. Being with you is a treat," Bianca said.

Bianca said sweet things like that a lot, and Iris liked it each time. "It might be a better treat for me to be with you," she said. Leaning close to her, Iris looked up at her date's face. It would be really nice to kiss her. "Bianca," Iris began.

"Hm?" Bianca said. She was still smiling, apparently not at all bothered by Iris's physical closeness to her.

It had kind of been like that all day, though, Iris realized. She was so lucky to just be around Bianca like this. Bianca could be taken at face value, always kind and loving. Iris really liked her, more and more each time they spoke even. Though happy about how things were progressing, Iris also had to think of what might go wrong. Maybe Bianca was just too kind, unable to say no. "Um, Bianca, maybe I can treat you after all. With something like a kiss... I mean, if it's okay. If it doesn't sound too corny or anything, either."

"That sounds nice," Bianca said.

With that, Iris leaned up, kissing the other girl on the lips. Bianca closed her eyes, enjoying the warmness and closeness of the brief moment. She wanted it to continue, and went to kiss Iris again, but then Iris suddenly moved away.

"U-Um, it was great to see you, Bianca," Iris said, fidgeting even as she grinned. "I'll call you back later. Let's meet up again!"

Bianca giggled slightly at Iris's cute reaction, waving as the other girl ran off. As she wandered back into the gallery to look over everything once more, the brothers from Striaton approached her. "Hi again," Bianca said.

The boys all nodded at her, giving their own greetings, then Cress began. "So, Miss Bianca, do you know her well?"

"You mean Iris?" Bianca asked.

"Yes," Cress said.

"Well, a little. I met her a little while ago and we've talked a lot since," Bianca said. "What about all of you? When did you meet?"

Chili gave a sigh. "We were just being polite when we saw her. Well, we should be, because Iris is dangerous."

Bianca furrowed her brow. She didn't think that about Iris at all, far from it. Bianca only saw Iris as a friendly, loving girl that cared about pokemon. But she also saw these three as polite and honest. Chili had spoken seriously, and Cilan frowned as he looked down, while Cress nodded at her. "It's true. You'd be best to stay away from her, Miss Bianca. I advise you to find a way to cut off your communications with her, and avoid her whenever possible."

"Well, um, thank you," Bianca said. She then decided to leave rather than get in the middle of whatever disagreement had happened between Iris and the Striaton gym leaders. "I have to go, but I'll be back to your gym one day, for sure. I'll look forward to seeing you then."

Bianca waved good-bye, and Cress and Chili gave their own salutations. "Ah-" Cilan began as Bianca was already gone. "It seems... Well, ah... I don't think it's likely Miss... Miss Bianca will take our advice."

"Perhaps not," Cress said. "It seems unlikely that pair would interact at all, doesn't it?"

Chili shrugged. Cilan frowned, remembering when Iris had entered their gym. "This is some kind of gym, right? Are you the gym leaders?" she'd asked. They'd all assumed she was another typical trainer ready to battle them for a badge. She looked the part, young enough at least, and had also been enthusiastic and friendly... At least on the surface.

When they all gave their usual flashy greeting, Iris put a finger to her chin. "My first pokemon?" Iris said, then smirking. "Well, my first pokemon partner was axew. I'll use it today.

"Ah... It..." Cilan paused, his words seeming to get caught in his throat. His brothers had wanted him to speak for the group, encouraged Cilan to not let his stuttering stop him or overly hinder his presentation, but he had choked up again. He could turn to his brothers to Cilan stopped, canceling out what he'd said, then started over. "Well, if... If you-you've started with a dragon t-t-t-t-type-" Cilan began.

Iris stopped smirking and just laughed, stopping Cilan mid sentence. She looked at the boys in front of her with complete confidence, seeming utterly amused, nothing like the trainers they encountered which showed some signs of nervousness at least. "What will you do now?" she said. "Dragon types resist fire, grass, and water types. Yeah, all three! Is this kind of like a bad dream to you guys?"

"Well, we don't want to disappoint you, Miss Iris," Cress said. "Though I admit you've caught us unprepared. We don't usually get many dragon types in the gym."

"Types shouldn't matter if you're really strong," Iris said with a shrug. "Well, I'll make it easier for you. I'll battle all three of you. At once, even." The brothers exchanged glances, and Iris smirked yet again at their indecision. "What's the matter? Trainers that have reached the rank of 'gym leader' should be ready for all kinds of unique battling situations." Iris pointed out.

"Let's do it," Chili said loudly. "Miss Iris is right. We can battle as a team. It's what we do usually, even if not all of us fight."

"Thhhat's right," Cilan said. "We accept your challenge, Miss Iris."

As the start of the battle was signaled, each brother sent out their favorite pokemon right away. Iris looked around the fancy restaurant of a battle field, seeing Pansage, Panpour, and Pansear looking at her with determined expressions, then glancing back at their trainers for what the instructions might be. Iris nodded at them, then threw our her own pokeballs. "Haxorus, Hydreigon, Druddigon, go!" she said. As Iris saw the gym leader's surprised expressions, she smirked again. "What is it? You didn't think it would be a fair three against three battle?" Iris said.

"Not at all, Miss Iris," Cress said, still keeping a brave face. "You're correct that this is how it's supposed to go."

"I guess so," Iris said, then laughed to herself. "Well, I guess it is kind of unfair, considering the type match ups and difference in evolution stage. I don't want anyone to say I was bullying you guys, and I do want to get a good idea of how strong you really are. So, even though I called three pokemon out because of the rules, but I'll still only use one. Hydreigon, Druddigon, stand back!"

Two of Iris's intimidating dragon types stepped back, leaving Haxorus at center stage. The battle began, and Iris was the first to shout out the command to her pokemon, the gym leaders following with their own.

"Haxorus, dragon dance!"

"Pa-Pansage, vine whip!"

"Panpour, water gun!"

"Pansear, incinerate!"

The area around Haxorus glowed red as it performed the dragon dance. As its opponents hit it with the attacks near simultaneously, Haxorus barely seemed to notice. "Haxorus, dragon tail!" Iris ordered. Haxorus preformed the attack, hitting both Pansear and Panpour at once. Pansear slid along the ground, hitting the podium where the brothers often stood before battles, wood splintering as it knocked a hole in the furniture. Panpour flew higher into the air from the impact, ripping the ornate banner above them. Both pokemon were instantly knocked out, only Pansage left to defend on the field.

Cilan tried to speak, but no sound would come out of his mouth, as used to happen often. He knew how to work through this normally, but the pressure was on. Looking at Iris, Cilan saw she was waiting for his next move, rather than just moving on. Rather than be grateful, Cilan felt more flustered, knowing the battle couldn't continue until he spoke. He tried to ease into his command. "P-pansage, fur-fur-fury swipes!" Cilan called, hoping the continued attack might do some real damage, or perhaps catch the larger pokemon off guard.

"Haxorus, slash attack!" Iris ordered. Before Pansage could even swipe once at her dragon type, Haxorus moved forward with a single, large, expert slash and knocked it out, against instantly.

Utterly overwhelmed, Cilan and his brothers still put on pleasant expressions. "You... You surprise us with your talent, Miss Iris," Cilan said.

"Right, congratulations," Chili said.

"We'll give you the trio badge as proof of your strength," Cress said, holding out the object.

Iris looked at the badge Cress held with a blank expression. She then sighed, holding up a hand as she shrugged. "Battling here has been really disappointing. I don't think anyone could prove their strength by beating you guys." Iris paused. In the aftermath of her rude words, the brothers said nothing. "Well," Iris continued as she considered the situation. "That does make my job here easier. It means I don't have to bother taking your pokemon away. Since they're weak pokemon with a weak trainer, they won't ever be a threat. So even though, you lost, celebrate. Team Plasma can leave you be. Powerless trainers like yourselves have no worries."

As Iris turned to leave, one of the spectators got out of her seat and held out her arms to block Iris's departure at the door. With her dragons behind her, Iris looked at the unknown girl. "What is it?"

"You can't just leave like that," the girl said, slightly trembling in her anger.

"Like what? The battle's over, and that's all I came here for," Iris said. "Excuse me then," she said, trying to walk by.

The guest moved and still blocked Iris's path to the door. "You had no reason to come in here. So you're good at battling, it's no reason to look down on others!"

"Miss, please," Cilan began.

"It's fine, we don't need you to do this," Chili assured.

"That's correct. Miss Iris was free to challenge us," Cress said.

"She shouldn't treat you like this though! Acting like she's too good to even take your badge," the girl said, looking to the ground as she still held up her hands.

"Fine," Iris said, smiling at the Striaton gym leaders' fan first, then turning around to face the gym leaders themselves. Walking over to them, Iris held out her hand. "Crushing these guys wasn't my intention," she assured the girl that had stopped her from leaving. "I just had to make sure they were as weak as I suspected, so I pushed them a little. But I did earn the badge, didn't I?"

Cress paused only a moment before he gave her the badge. "And here you are, Miss Iris. Thank you for visiting our gym today."

Again, Iris ignored Cress as she turned away, admiring the shiny badge. "Hmph." She finally smirked, throwing it up in the air and catching it in her hand, then turning back to the brothers. "So, this is who Striaton picks as the best of the best?" she said. "It's just a joke. I've seen other trainers around here that are better than you guys, even all three of you put together, and even those trainers are mostly powerless. If you're gonna demand respect, have some power behind it! As it stands, you're just some kids playing at the gym leader thing. Some really green trainers might have trouble with your gimmick, but it won't take them long to figure out how to beat you."

"Hmph." Chili grimaced, but couldn't argue with the assessment.

"We apologize for the disappointment, Miss Iris," Cress said.

"Well, it would be bad news for you if it were any different," Iris said. "So just be happy I didn't have to crush you and steal your pokemon to meet my objective here."

"I-If you don't mind," Cilan asked as Iris again turned to leave. Iris turned back, staring at him. "Well... Mi-Mi-Miss Iris," Cilan began now that he had her attention again. "What exactly... What exactly is your objective here? It's not so plain to me."

"Hm. Good question," Iris said. "Striaton doesn't seem important. Maybe Dad just wanted to see if my Team Plasma could pull off what we're planning, and decided to have us test our strength on the town with the weakest trainers in Unova." Iris sighed. "He'll be happy with the results. With this, we'll prove we can separate strong pokemon from strong trainers, until all of Unova is under our control."

"What will you do then?" Chili asked. Though he and his brothers tried to maintain an air of 'the customer is always right', even with Iris, he was having trouble keeping a straight face as they kept talking.

"Then we'll put an end to human cruelty, of course. I'll force all cruel humans to release their pokemon, so don't you all go and become bad trainers now," Iris warned with a smile, finally leaving the gym.

The brothers followed her outside, just to see if she left. Iris walked ahead without looking back. But before she got too far from the gym, the man who was likely the stronger trainer with the strongest pokemon in Striaton appeared, blocking Iris's way. "You're Iris, aren't you? I've gotten wind of you. I won't stand for you bullying people, including our gym leaders," the man said.

Iris didn't bother to make much conversation with him, just ordered Haxorus to battle, then make as quick work of all six of the powerful trainer's pokemon as she had with the brothers' in the gym. "Not bad," she said. As she spoke, the uniformed Team Plasma members appeared, their own pokemon in front of them. "Now I know you aren't just like the rest of the bunch around here. So hand over your pokemon, will you?"

"Like hell," the man said.

"Come on. I can't just let them go," Iris said. "You went up against us now, so you will again, and that means you're a threat. Instead of fighting for nothing, your pokemon will help us out. That's good, right?"

"Ah!" Cilan cried out along with his brothers as Iris motioned for Haxorus to approach the defenseless human. However, instead of the pokemon attacking, the human uniformed Team Plasma members approached the defeated man, who tried to punch one of the strangely-dressed crew. Two others held him back as a third took his pokeballs.

"Wait!" the main cried. "Don't take them. You can't just separate people from their partners!"

"Just carry those yourself for now," Iris ordered to the Plasma member that tried to hand her the pokeballs. He followed directions and pull them into a bag that already was full of pokeballs.

Tears seem to enter the man's eyes as he saw the plasma member carrying the bag of pokeballs walk away. As the others let him go, he tried to give chase. Instead, the trainer separated from his pokemon was smacked again by the humans, beaten up.

"Don't you think this is just a little a little too cruel!" Chili finally protested to Iris.

"Why don't you help him then?" Iris said. Then she smiled. "Oh, right. Because you know you'd be useless. Good for you, knowing there's no use for weak trainers."

At the time, Cilan had just watched as Iris walked away from the scene, then gone to aide the beaten patron as it was sure that Team Plasma was really gone. Now, Cilan was more perplexed as he observed Bianca, now hurrying away them, continuing to look throughout the gallery. Bianca and Iris were an odd pair. Even if she'd improved since then, during her own battle in Striaton Gym Bianca had been just like kind of 'weak' trainer Iris had called useless. Why Iris would be in her company then, Cilan couldn't guess.

Anyone knowing the facts these brothers did could make various unpleasant guesses as to why Iris might be in Unova's most populous city. "Should we alert anyone?" Cress asked after they'd sat contemplating the situation.

"Of course," Chili said.

•

After leaving the gallery, Iris nearly skipped through the street. That had gone really well, she considered. She'd gotten to bask in Bianca's attention for that long, not only that, but her own attention and affection had been so enthusiastically accepted. They could date again, Iris considered. Both of them would be busy with various things, but Iris could find the time. No matter what, she wanted to.

Picking up her phone as she slowed her pace through the streets, Iris wondered if it might be too soon to send Bianca some kind of message. It had been maybe ten minutes since they'd parted ways, so maybe yes. Iris smiled, looking at the messages Bianca had previously sent. She decided she want to send a quick message after all. "I had a GREAT time today. Thanks for everything!" was all it said.

Only a minute later, Iris's phone pinged with Bianca's response. "Me too. Let's go out again sometimes. :)" Bianca's response said.

Again? Iris grinned happily, day dreaming about how a second date might go. Her phone pinged again, and Iris grabbed it, hoping for more word from Bianca. It was just a message from one of the Plasma grunts she'd trusted enough to give this line to, though, telling her to head over to a certain pier.

Iris had already been heading there though. That was where Ghetsis had said he'd meet her. Arriving there, Iris saw Ghetsis surrounded by a crowd. She waited while he went on with his speech about the various cruelties of humans toward pokemon. Ghetsis used to speak mostly about the liberation of pokemon as N would imagine it. Iris felt a bit relieved Ghetsis had since revised his outlook. N's would cause both people and pokemon needless suffering. They could end the suffering of pokemon without complying to that kind of totalitarian vision.

When Ghetsis ended his speech, the various grunts surrounded him, allowing him access through the crowd. Apparently having spotted her before, Ghetsis approached Iris now. "It's good to see you, Iris," he said.

"You too Da- Lord Ghetsis," Iris said, embracing her father. She looked around at the crowd. It was easy to tell that some of the Team Plasma members present were loyal to N, from how they scowled and nearly glared Iris's way. However, when Iris met them in the eye, they just looked away. Oh well, Iris considered. Ghetsis was the only one of the seven sages that supported her, and even then, not completely openly.

"Please, leave us," Ghetsis said to the Plasma members present. "I need some time with my daughter."

Uniformly, all of the Team Plasma grunts dispersed. Ghetsis and Iris walked to the end of the pier together, watching a group of flying type pokemon in the distance. Iris laughed as she looked down into the water, seeing the alomomola swimming around in the water underneath.

"It's good to see you, Iris," Ghetsis said.

"You too, Dad. I'm glad everyone's still listening to you. You know what you're talking about, way more than N does."

"It's no small thanks to you."

Iris looked up in surprise as Ghetsis spoke. "But Dad, I don't think I did anything. Team Plasma is as great as it is now thanks to you. Even before I was born, you were trying your best by yourself, right?"

"All that is true. But my stance on issues has changed since then, and that's thanks to you. This change sounds better from a young trainer like yourself as well. It's only with your support that I can correct what Team Plasma has become."

Iris nodded. "I'm here for you, Dad."

"I thank you for that. So, how did things go in Striaton and Nacrene?" Ghetsis asked.

"Striaton was full of pushovers. Nacrene stepped things up a little. We picked up a lot of powerful pokemon for everyone. If there's anyone there that can match us or beat us now, they're just cowards that run and hide, so I won't worry about them anyway."

"I heard similar stories from those that are now your comrades. Good job. And how did it go with Nacrene gym leader?"

"Oh, her?" Iris paused. "She's one of those cowards, at least I think so. I went to challenge her. After we kept banging on the doors, someone looked out the window and said she wasn't there."

"And you left it at that?" Ghetsis asked.

"Yeah. I bet that gym leader was just hiding behind her bookshelves, but we weren't going to break in or anything," Iris informed. Ghetsis was silent, and Iris felt a little uncomfortable with that. "She's either a weakling or a coward or both, so we don't have to worry about her at all!"

"So, you didn't go in Nacrene Museum at all?" Ghetsis asked.

"No," Iris said.

"I see," Ghetsis said with a sigh. "Well, you did very well, Iris. I can't believe how much hope you can provide, for all of Unova. But also on a personal note, seeing how Team Plasma will finally achieve its goal with your guidance, I am personally joyful. I thank you for that."

Iris grinned happily. She'd thought Ghetsis might have been displeased, but he wasn't at all. "I'll do anything I can to help," Iris promised. "I promise. Team Plasma is gonna help all pokemon."

"I imagine it will, with a leader such as yourself," Ghetsis said. "Though many hesitate, a number have already accepted you as their queen, correct?"

Iris nodded. She'd converted some current members who saw how futile N's direction was, and even gotten some new members for the new Team Plasma all on her own. It was just a start, but still proof of her rightful place in the organization.

"Do you think it's enough to move on to the next phase of your plan?" Ghetsis asked.

"Yeah!" Iris exclaimed. Thinking about moving forward, she became excited. It might seem too quick to do something like Ghetsis had previously talked about, but she really was ready, so why not?

"Well, then I'll help you by contacting your loyal subordinates. You rest up, Iris. Be ready to brief your help and then follow through with your plans."

Iris nodded. Thinking about it even further, she was more than ready. Slowing down would just give those that opposed her time to prepare, so she would be absolutely ready to power ahead.


	3. Chapter 3

**3**

Giving her courtesy knock on the door, Iris went inside. "I'm home," she announced. No one came. Looking around, Iris sighed. This wasn't exactly the kind of home she was used to. Her sisters must have done their best, but it was just a dirty old apartment in an unpleasant part of the city. It wasn't 'home' exactly, as in the places Iris has lived since she was born where all of her pokemon could come out and play all they wanted, wherever they wanted. But at the moment, this was a place her family was. That was enough like 'home' for Iris to appreciate.

"Sisters?" Iris called. "Anthea? Concordia?" Instead of her human sisters, Gothitelle and Gardevoir appeared. Iris grinned happily. "Hey you two. Are you doing well here?"

"Gothitelle," one of the pokemon replied.

"Yeah, the best you can here, huh?" Iris replied, then laughing. She walked further inside. Rounding the corner to the dining area, Iris saw a far more unpleasant sight. "You!" Iris shouted. "Again..." she groaned.

N made little reaction, only glanced toward the kitchen where Concordia was. With the fan on high, she must not have heard Iris come in, but noticed her now. "Oh, Iris. I wasn't aware you'd be here this early," Concordia said.

Iris folded her arms, turning away with a pout. "So you invite him over? Why do you all still bother with him anyway?"

"Haven't you already been informed many times, Iris?" N said. "Anthea and Concordia are goddesses tasked with my care. They are kindhearted, and tolerate you because they're patient with children."

"Well maybe they only tolerate you because they're patient with people that are nuts," Iris said, grabbing her phone. "I'll call Dad."

"No need to trouble him. I'll just leave before then," N said, standing up.

"Stop," Anthea begged as she came in the room. She held out her hand for Iris's phone, which the younger sister gave. "It's not a matter of simple tolerance. We love and miss you both."

"Yes," Concordia confirmed. "I've just been making a meal, and there's plenty for all. Can't you both put aside your differences for the moment? It would be nice for the four of us to be at peace for a simple dinner."

"I agree," Anthea said.

Silently, Iris and N both sat down at the table, each looking away from the other. Anthea went to help Concordia, and they soon placed two platters on the table, each steaming hot. Iris began to smell their delicious food, and grinned happily, almost forgetting who was right next to her. "Thanks for making all this!" she said to her sisters, who smiled back. Iris grabbed the first plate and look a large serving, then passed it to the side. "Here you go," she said pleasantly.

N took the plate from her. Iris frowned as she remembered he was there, but it was really hard to remain cross while eating her sisters' delicious food. The four siblings began silently eating. "Are you here for long, Iris?" Concordia eventually asked.

"I-" Iris began, then still looked to the side. "I don't think I should say," she finished.

Since Iris had, the other two sisters looked toward N. "I'll be out of the city by the end of today," N informed.

"Good," Iris said as she helped herself to seconds.

"What is it that you've got planned, Iris? Is what you hope to gain worth betraying the mission we used to agree on?" N said.

"What about you?" Iris began, shouting. "Is your one idea worth throwing away your family and stomping over everyone for?"

"That's enough, Iris," Concordia said.

"Hmph." Iris sat down and tried to calm herself for her sister's sake. She took a deep breath and eventually did. It was a little awkward, as there wasn't much to talk about that wouldn't cause some kind of argument. Even if Iris were to ask about the pokemon, or talk about her own, N would probably just ramble on about his mythical 'pokemon world' where pokemon belonged, which wasn't this one. After what seemed like an extremely long and awkward silence, Iris got an idea of what he might mention to break the silence that wouldn't start an argument. "Sisters!" she began. "I had something exciting happened... Really, really exciting!"

"What's that, Iris?" Concordia said.

"Well, um, I met this girl... And she's really, really nice. I really like her! I think she likes me too," Iris said. She dreamily looked to the side.

"Oh?" Concordia's expression now contained an amused smile.

"Iris is 'that age', isn't she?" Anthea said.

"I suppose so," Concordia said, grinning wider now. "Yes, crushes are common at Iris's age."

"It's not just a crush!" Iris insisted. "We even went on a date... I had my first date, and also my first kiss."

"Oh, you're an early bloomer then," Concordia said.

"Isn't she? Well, congratulations that things went so well," Anthea said.

N dropped his fork on the plate with a clang and sighed. Iris glared over at him. "What is it?" she said.

"Is this the kind of nonsense you occupy yourself with now?" N asked, wiping his had on the napkin.

"It's not nonsense! It's called basic human emotions! You'd know nothing about it, huh?" Iris asked. She turned back to her sisters. "Has N ever had something like a date?"

"Thank you both for the meal," N said to Anthea and Concordia, completely ignoring Iris's question. "I'll have to get going to reach my destination before dark."

"Take care," Concordia said with a nod.

As N headed to the door, Anthea ran to meet him. "My lord N, isn't there a way to resolve the rift between you and Iris?" she asked.

"I don't believe so," N said, reaching his hand to the doorknob. "Nothing she's done has been rectified, and she continues to make everything worse even now."

"Wait," Anthea said, putting her hand on N's before he could open the door. "She's just a child."

"Don't use that to excuse her," N said. "What Iris has done, and continues to do, it's unforgivable. No amount of childish 'innocence' should be given as a reason to allow any of it to continue."

"Please, have some patience with her. Concordia and I... No, I'll just speak for myself. As a goddess and Iris's caretaker, I'll take on the responsibility of any of her sins," Anthea said.

"You won't do her any favors with that," N said as he opened the door to the outside. "She'd be better off shouldering her own responsibility."

"Wait," Anthea said again as N took a step out the door. Though he didn't turn around and face her again, he stopped, so she continued. "I offer the same to you, my lord N."

With that, N turned and closed the door, leaving the apartment.

•

Being around Bianca was an experience that Iris looked forward to. It was hard not to feel at peace with that pleasant girl next to her. Bianca took Iris's hand in her own, not a hint of discontent as they walked through the street. Iris enjoyed the other girl's warmness as they walked through the Castelia streets. "Do you really have to leave?" Iris asked.

"I guess not," Bianca said. It was her pokemon journey after all. "I have been looking forward to seeing the different places in Nimbasa, though. And Elesa will be back soon, I heard, so we can battle."

"I'd hate waiting around for those gym leaders if I was a trainer like you," Iris said.

"Not at all," Bianca insisted. "There's so much more to see and do with pokemon than just battling in a gym. We've done a lot of that already, huh?"

Iris nodded. Besides their training, they allowed their pokemon to go different places, though there wasn't as much for them in a city like this where few people bothered to even have pokemon. There would be more for Bianca to do with her pokemon in Nimbasa. But still... "I'll miss you," Iris said, scooting closer to Bianca. "I really liked all our dates... It's way too much fun! I don't want to be away from you for too long." Iris squeezed Bianca's hand and rested her head on the other girl's shoulder. "I'll be in Nimbasa soon, too... Well, I don't know for sure, but I think... But even that much seems like too long."

Bianca beamed. It was nice to be liked so much. "You're really sweet, Iris. Let's promise we'll see each other again, okay? And we'll keep in touch until then." Bianca held up her Xtransceiver as she spoke.

"Of course!" Iris said. After cuddling with Bianca a while longer, the object of Iris's affections did eventually leave. Iris felt a bit lonely a few minutes after she did, but then grinned. Bianca was the type to keep promises, so Iris would hear from her soon. Besides, Iris had plenty to concentrate on otherwise. In fact, maybe it had been Bianca's prolonged stay in the city that had caused Iris to hesitate this long. Getting out her phone, Iris got ready to follow through with her plans.

•

Training and art often went hand in hand for Burgh. The trainers in his gym knew that well, so didn't question the many times he was hit with inspiration and locked himself in the room that supposedly was for battles between trainers seeking a badge and himself. As he has many times before, Burgh now shut himself away from the rest of the world, with only his art as company.

Though that wasn't quite true. Burgh's pokemon were not only allowed in the room, but more than welcome. At that point, Dwebble dozed by the sealed door, Whirlipede snacked on the rest of its lunch, and Leavanny was doting on the many sewaddle, which were also often allowed in this room, despite not being specifically Burgh's pokemon.

Burgh felt similarly to his leavanny when it came to the sewaddle. He wanted to be able to care for them all, maybe make the gym a paradise for bug type pokemon like them. He did have to be practical though, particularly in the city he lived, which wasn't at all a forest, which would be the typical bug type paradise. Burgh could allow a set amount of these kinds of pokemon to set up residence in his gym, and then visit the others in the wild. It was a compromise worth making, to live in the city and still have these pokemon around, Burgh considered.

Looking at Leavanny and the sewaddle was what had given Burgh his current inspiration. It was admirable, how the further evolved forms of this particular evolution cared for the lesser evolved forms. Leavanny had created 'clothing' for all the sewaddle here. Now it appeared to be comforting them with its call. As the smaller pokemon approached it, Leavanny would also adjust their 'clothing', pat them comfortingly, or use a low, soothing call. It was familial in a way, though there was little chance Burgh's leavanny and any of these sewaddle were related.

Burgh still enjoyed the sight vicariously, as he painted how he would imagine a similar scene to play out in the wild. There was a knock on his door, and Burgh ignored it. The trainers that had joined him in Castelia Gym knew he wouldn't when he was too busy with a project like this. They'd knock once, and Burgh would answer only if he wasn't occupied. Absorbed with his current painting, Burgh didn't mind a first, or even second knock a while later. It all faded into the background noise as he continued to paint.

Until the knocking later turned into a large thump. Dwebble jumped into the air, startled, now very much awoken from its nap. Similarly disturbed from his work, Burgh also looked toward the door. None of the regular trainers at his gym would be that rude to interrupt him like this. Carefully putting his supplies to the side, Burgh walked to the door. "Who is it?"

"Is that Burgh, Castelia's very own gym leader I hear?" a voice on the other side of the door asked.

Burgh opened the door, seeing a young girl on the other side. "So it is!" Iris exclaimed. "I hoped you wouldn't be a no show."

"I suppose you're a challenger," Burgh said.

"Well, not in the way you usually understand it," Iris began. "I've come to challenge you, sure. But it's to prove there really is no one better than me in this city."

Burgh furrowed his brow, thinking it wasn't too different from a lot of trainers that usually came into the gym. Traveling trainers that challenged him would often say they wanted to prove they were the best in some context. The traveling trainers would also listen to his gym regulars when told that Burgh was too busy with his art and to come back later, though.

"Too bad for you that people see gym leaders as something special. Even if me and my team have already beaten a bunch of trainers from here that are stronger than you, I have to beat you to really finish things up here. I don't think you'll be too much of a threat against my dragons with your bug types though..." Iris said with a sigh.

Burgh grimaced. The leaders from Striaton had said they'd seen her around, but it had been quiet, so Burgh had hoped she'd just gone away. "I think I have some idea who are you, miss."

"That's right," Iris said with a nod. "I'm Iris, the future Queen of Team Plasma. Some people even recognize me as current." Iris laughed. "I'm the current Queen of Castelia, too! Me and the trainers in my team, we've beaten everyone! Esteemed trainers, police officers, all of them. We have control!"

Burgh frowned. "You've been terrorizing my city while I've been occupied then?"

"It's not exactly how you say... But I guess so. Team Plasma runs Castelia now. Beating you is just a formality for me. Unless you want to surrender," Iris offered.

Burgh shook his head. He motioned for his pokemon to come closer, and the sewaddle backed away, as they usually did with a challenge like this.

"Good. I don't really like cowards. It can just be you against me alone, okay? No need to have anyone watch and leave you humiliated."

"And what if I beat you?" Burgh asked. "What will you and your team do then?"

"I don't think it's going to happen," Iris said.

"I'm sure it's within the realm of possibility. Humor me with what your response would be."

Iris considered it for a moment, then laughed again. "Well, if a bug maniac like you beat me, I'd better just about face and run," she said.

"And your fellows?" Burgh asked.

"Everyone else would follow me, of course. They know I'm a stronger trainer than them, so they wouldn't stick around knowing there was someone even stronger than me against them," Iris explained.

"I see," Burgh said, closing his eyes and smiling. After just a moment, he opened them again, meeting Iris's eyes with a pointed gaze. "Can you make that a promise? You'll leave and order everyone else to if the battle ends in my favor?"

"Ah... Sure," Iris said. "I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you though."

"I see. Then I really can't lose this battle," Burgh said. He nodded to his three pokemon seriously, then sighed. "Though I suppose I shouldn't depend on you keeping your word."

"Hey, don't be rude!" Iris insisted, scowling at the implication of her dishonesty. "I'm honorable, so is the rest of Team Plasma. Maybe one bad apple here and there, but, hey! I'm not that one. I'll keep my word," Iris insisted.

"Alright," Burgh said with some relief. "Now, I suppose you have a promise to ask of me in return."

Grinning to herself, Iris waved a finger. "I wouldn't ask you to promise anything. If I did, you might think you had a choice. Team Plasma will follow through on their mission if you agree to it or not."

Burgh frowned. "Fair enough," he said, though it really wasn't. "Then, should we get to our battle, Miss Iris?"

"Right," Iris said. She held up the pokeball that she'd already chosen.

As Iris threw it out, Burgh pointed forward. "Go, Leavanny!" he said.

"Hydreigon! It's your turn!" Iris declared as her menacing part dark type part dragon type entered the field.

Hydreigon floated over Burgh's dainty pokemon, glaring at its opponent threateningly. Hydreigon then let out a roar, ear piercing screeches emanating from its other heads at the same time. Burgh's pokemon reacted the same way as Burgh himself, looking at its opponent in a calm manner. The pair remained steadfast as Burgh pointed his hand forward, glancing toward Iris before giving a command. "Leavanny, string shot!" he said.

"Hydreigon, charge beam!" Iris ordered. She grinned as Burgh's pokemon put up its useless defences, Hydreigon's attack hitting it easily. Charge beam didn't have much effect on a pokemon that was part grass type of course, but Iris had been hoping for a secondary effect. She frowned as she realized it hadn't taken effect. "Hydreigon, charge beam!" she ordered a second time.

"Once more, Leavanny," Burgh said, also repeating the same attack. His pokemon was hit again, but continued to shoot its web around the battling arena. Leavanny stood tall as it waited for Burgh's next command, which he gave soon enough. "Leavanny, struggle bug!" he shouted.

That move? Iris raised an eyebrow. It would likely throw Hydreigon off guard, canceling out the increase in power that Hydreigon's charge beam had just provided. It was time to step things up. Iris shouted her command as the red aura gathered around Leavanny, sparks flying as it came toward Hydreigon for the attack. "Dragon pulse!" Iris shouted.

Leavanny and Hydreigon released their attacks at the same time. The red energy Leavanny sent out almost seemed to swallow Hydreigon's dragon pulse. Hydreigon shouted in pain, but Leavanny merely blinked as the sparks of what remained of the dragon pulse attack hit. It then landed, not seeming to sweat it at all, as it continued to stand as straight as it had from the start.

"Your pokemon's a tough one, isn't it?" Iris said.

"Yes. I'm not simply an artist, you understand. I put just as much effort into training as a gym leader," Burgh explained.

"That's what I was afraid of," Iris muttered. "Um, well, I mean, that you'd just be some artsy pushover," she explained with a shrug. "I was worried that the whole Unova League was just there for show, with no bite behind it. I was wrong, and now I just want to beat you even more. Go on, Hydreigon! Dragon pulse once more!" Iris grinned as she ordered the attack, but then widened her eyes in surprise as she realized her obvious mistake.

"Leavanny, struggle bug!" Burgh ordered.

Leavanny ran gracefully, hitting Hydreigon from below. Hydreigon could couldn't move at all, its wings entangled in Leavanny's webs. One of its smaller heads was entangled as well. Hydreigon moved around its main head, trying to find where Leavanny was to blast it. As it tried to do so, Burgh ordered Leavanny to again repeat the same attack. Again, the energy of their attacks met, and this time Hydreigon howled, ripping apart some of its bonds as it struggled to free itself. It only seemed to tangle itself up more though.

"Hydreigon! Fire blast!" Iris shouted, hoping it would take care of the hazards on the field even if it wouldn't damage the opponent much at this point.

"Leavanny! Struggle bug!" Burgh ordered again. As Hydreigon tried its best to look toward its opponent, Leavanny's attack was able to hit it unhindered. Hydreigon let out an unpleasant screech from all of its mouths, then began to crash to the ground.

Iris took out her pokeball, returning Hydreigon before it could be hurt too much from its fall as it fainted. She had seemed kind of amateurish there. Maybe she was. It wasn't that she'd thought that Leavanny's initial defensive moves would have absolutely no effect, it was that she hadn't considered the effect that the moves would have in such a large impact in the cramped room that Burgh used for battling. Burgh would pay the price now that she did have that kind of perspective, though. "Go, Lapras!"

Iris had hoped Burgh would make an amateurish mistake himself, getting too happy that he had a type advantage and going right for the knock out. "String shot," Burgh ordered instead, not forgetting about the defence which had been valuable before.

Iris's choice of move would have been the same no matter what Burgh had chosen to do, though. "Lapras, blizzard!" she shouting, her voice wavering slightly as she did so in anticipation as she did. She really did shiver as Lapras let out the musical call that accompanied its blizzard attack. Iris's lapras was well practiced in this technique. Knowing how powerful it was, Iris had Lapras practice it over and over again. She didn't like the extreme cold much, neither did her dragon type pokemon nor Unfezant for that matter, but they had to master all kinds of unpleasant situations to be as strong as they were.

So Iris clenched her jaw as Lapras's blizzard attack encased the entire room, with Leavanny at the center. As the blinding white of the attack disappeared, Iris saw that Burgh's pokemon still stood, though its expression was a little askew. "Leavanny, razor leaf!" Burgh shouted.

That move was a predictable last ditch effort. Iris had guessed that Leavanny might have a grass type move, maybe even this one in particular, and had decided it would be worth the risk. Blizzard would finish it off quickly, though then it would be even colder in there. Maybe she should go with the water type attack, even if Leavanny might resist it. Seeing how Leavanny moved around, Iris changed her mind. "Lapras, thunder!" she shouted.

Leavanny scooted and ducked around the field, avoiding the hazards it had put up itself, which were now a mutual threat, being frozen and sharp. Burgh's pokemon attacked first, hitting Lapras with the barrage of leaves. Though the attack had a definite effect on Lapras, it immediately responded with its own move. A strong electric attack struck Leavanny, and it shouted, flying backward from the force, being further hit by breaking through the sharp, icy strands of web with its body. It stood enough bounced to its feet, looking forward with determination as it again waited for Burgh's instruction.

This pokemon really was abnormally tough, Iris considered. She and Burgh both ordered their pokemon to repeat the same attacks. Iris flinched as the razor leaf attack hit Lapras with full force, causing even more damage than the first try had. Lapras was knocked out before it could retaliate. Iris quickly returned it, then brought out her next pokeball. She paused on as she saw Burgh's self-satisfied smile. She smiled herself in return. "It really is a pleasure," Iris said. "Finally, a trainer worth battling."

"You will keep your promise, won't you?" Burgh asked.

"My-" Iris paused. "Oh, that. I forgot about that as soon as I made it. Don't think I'm not honorable! I keep my promises! It's just, I won't have to worry about it this time. I'm gonna win easily after all."

"It doesn't seem like you've having that easy of a time of it," Burgh pointed out simply.

"Right, your Leavanny's tough, it's just... Well..." Iris looked to the ground, where Burgh's other pokemon stood waiting. "You used your trump card to start with, right? Well, I didn't bother. Right now I will, though. Go, Haxorus!"

Haxorus appeared from the pokeball as Iris threw it. Both human and pokemon seemed to get into a fighting stance together. Iris even shouted as her pokemon roared in her excitement. "Go, Haxorus! Slash attack!"

"Leavanny, struggle bug!" Burgh shouted. Though with this attack, Leavanny tried to defend, it was no use against Haxorus's purely physical attack. Leavanny crumpled to the ground in a pile. Burgh quickly brought out the pokeball and returned it. "Dwebble, it's your turn!" he said right after he did. "Sand attack!"

"Is that it?" Iris was unable to hide her disappointment. A sand attack, maybe even two, wouldn't faze Haxorus much. "Haxorus! Dragon dance!" she shouted.

The pokemon performed their moves in synch. Hydreigon shook off the sand in its face and broke apart the remnants of Leavanny's frozen string shot attack as it performed the dragon dance. The trainers then followed with their next commands. "Dwebble, smack down!" Burgh shouted.

"Haxorus, dragon tail!" Iris shouted. She was again impressed as Dwebble managed to used the moment's advantage to hit even the speedier Haxorus. Its rocky attack flew up at Haxorus's head, cutting down its entire body. Just that much power wasn't near enough, though. Even as Dwebble's attack completed, Haxorus's tail hit it. Dwebble at first flew through the air, then scooted along the ground, now in back of Burgh.

Burgh's whirlipede rolled in front now. "Whirl, whirlipede," it spoke, glaring at Haxorus and ready to battle. Burgh peered behind himself only a second, seeing Dwebble shaking off the effects of the attack. Though not knocked out, it was certainly out of the arena, so there would be no issue with Whirlipede taking over. "Whirlipede, poison tail!" Burgh shouted.

"Haxorus, slash attack!" Iris shouted. After Whirlipede hit, Haxorus was able to land an instant knock out with Burgh's pokemon so close and all. Even as she did, she winced. Haxorus was poisoned now. Iris hated these kinds of battling conditions, but the effects of poison were just another thing on the list of the many things that Iris and her pokemon had to overcome in their quest for strength.

Dwebble wanted back to the field as Burgh returned Whirlipede to its pokeball. "Dwebble, feint attack!"

"Haxorus, assurance!"

Haxorus landed the attack easily enough, then was hit by Dwebble's counter from the side, as Dwebble disappeared then reappeared to land it. Iris could see the poison was affecting Haxorus, sapping its strength just a little. She briefly glanced from the battle scene over at her human opponent. Burgh clenched his fist as he pulled his arm up, still with that smile. It was almost like he had hope. Poor guy.

"Haxorus, dragon tail!" Iris shouted. Burgh also shouted his own order, but that was unimportant. Though Dwebble landed another feint attack, Iris predicted where it would be, and quickly motioned to Haxorus to Dwebble's location before her opponent's pokemon even appeared. After being hit, Haxorus smacked Dwebble yet again with its attack. Burgh's final pokemon was knocked out.

"Sewa! Wa!" the sewaddle in the background let out various pitiable sounds, but Iris just had to sigh with satisfaction.

"Good job, Haxorus," she said. "You guys too," she said, speaking to her pokeballs before pulling out an antidote. As Iris cured Haxorus, several Team Plasma grunts came running in.

"Lady Iris! You-"

"Oh, don't worry, I won," Iris said. "This guy is way stronger than those dunces in Striaton were, though." Patting Haxorus once more where the poison tail attack had hit, Iris turned to Burgh. "So, since you are that strong, I'll definitely have to take your pokemon. You're not the type to insist I take your badge, right? I don't need it, so just hand over all three of those pokemon."

Burgh frowned now, clenching his fist. "Is this a serious request? You must know I'd never do that."

"I guess not. You don't get to be as powerful as you by just giving up your pokemon on request," Iris said. "So you guys," Iris said, nodding to the humans behind her. "Just take them. And those too," Iris pointed to the sewaddle behind Burgh.

As Burgh tried to defend against one of the plasma grunts, another snatched his pokeballs away. Burgh went to confront the other thief, but then saw a third plasma grunt gathering the low level sewaddle in his net. "Good," Iris said with a nod. "He can just catch more I guess, but we shouldn't be dumb enough to leave him with one." Seeing her underlings finishing up the job they'd come to Castelia City to do, Iris turned her back.

"Wa-wait!" Burgh raised his voice slightly. "Iris!"

"What is it?" Iris asked, glancing over her shoulder with a bored expression.

"These pokemon of mine," Burgh began, first glancing toward the grunt that had taken his pokeballs, then the net full of sewaddle. "They aren't merely tools of battle to me. I can't just catch others and replace them. Understand, I've heard those from your team speak of your agenda and thinking, and believe me, I don't disagree with all of it. But my partners are with me because they choose to be. Those sewaddle, they aren't partners in battle... They're just friends that wanted to accompany me, or maybe just Leavanny, back to the gym. Please don't split us all up. We're like a family. Everyone is here because we want to be, and we're important to each other."

"But if I leave them, you and them will just want to get back at me and the rest of Team Plasma, right? You agree with us a little, but mostly not, isn't it true?" Iris said, again turning away from Burgh as he looked toward the ground. "Sorry for you that lost, but that means your pokemon go with us. You're really powerful, and you went against us once, so you would again. It would be stupid to leave you with any. I'll never change the world to how Team Plasma imagines it if I listen to everyone's sob story."

As Iris left, Burgh looked around the room and saw the people with his pokemon were gone already. His footsteps echoed through the now all too empty room as he ran outside, then down the hall to the maze, looking all around for where they may have gone. But there were no members of Team Plasma left, only the defeated gym trainers. Burgh reached the gym's door to look out on the street, where there was no sign of the enemies that had been in his gym. Burgh leaned against the door, a sense of profound emptiness overtaking him.

•

No one could leave without their permission. It was getting pretty exciting, and surprising that they she had gained this much power in a short time. She'd used those loyal to her and gained more and more followers since invading Castelia. Similar to how she'd thought her own loyal followers might react if she'd been defeated by Burgh, many in Castelia were hesitant to fight them after discovering that Iris had beaten Burgh himself so easily. They eventually did fight though. None of them would give up their pokemon just by Team Plasma asking them to. From there, a small number joined Iris's quest.

That's right, Iris had done what N never could, and now controlled the most populous city in all of Unova. Everyone in the city was allowed to go about their daily lives, but those with pokemon were battled and tested, then had their pokemon taken away if they were thought to be a possible threat. Many people in Castelia didn't have pokemon in the first place - too much work and not enough space for a city dweller to have pokemon companions. But now only Iris and her split off group of Team Plasma had any powerful pokemon at all. Not even the police could stop them, they ran the place.

Standing at Sky Arrow Bridge, Iris remembered the last time she'd spent any real time there. Bianca had to be having fun in Nimbasa City right then. There were lots of fun things to do there. Bianca had already spent a few days in the theme park, still with no sign of Elesa for her to battle. She'd also watched some sports and visited the battle institute. Iris had kept up with every moment through calls and messages. How nice that Bianca cared so much to share that much.

Iris grinned as she went through the messages again. Even though Bianca hadn't responded since the last time Iris had checked, reading through the older messages made her feel just as excited again. If only she could be in Nimbasa with Bianca right then. What would be the coziest place? The theme park? Maybe in Elesa's roller coaster? Well, she and Bianca could get all excited then, and then cool down all close in the ferris wheel. Iris began to daydream about what might happen then.

"Iris!"

"Dad!" Iris shouted, running toward Ghetsis as he approached them from the city, going toward the gate of the bridge. She gave him a hug, then saw Anthea and Concordia approaching not to far, and ran to give them both hugs as well. Ghetsis was there, at last. Iris had done her best in Castelia through days and days of time, and wanted him there so he could see the result. Iris really did want to be praised, and know she had made up for N's disappointment and pleased her father.

"What are you doing here, Iris?" Ghetsis asked.

Iris's happy expression fell as Ghetsis spoke to her with a stern tone. "You wanted to meet me here, right D- Lord Ghetsis?" Iris decided to be formal. She really should be in public, but had slipped up in all of her excitement over what had happened in the city, and thinking about how Ghetsis might react. "I did what I- what you helped me plan. It's good, right?"

"Yes, you do seem to have made some progress," Ghetsis said. Iris beamed at the compliment. "It does disappoint me that you've started to stagnate."

"No way," Iris said. "I've gotten a lot of allies, and almost everyone in Castelia understands that we're the law now. I'll do the same with all of Unova, and make sure all pokemon are free from cruel human trainers!"

"So why don't you move on from here now, if you've already established control?" Ghetsis asked. "There's not one person left that opposes you, correct?"

"I'm not sure about that," Iris said with a shrug. "It's a pretty big city. And people are coming in and out all the time." Iris pointed to the large bridge to illustrate her point.

"Exactly," Ghetsis said. "You've not taken enough control, though you can. To make sure no one will enter and oppose you once you move on, cut off all transportation in and out of the city. Afterwards, you can leave those loyal to you in charge, and move onto, say, Nimbasa. It's another central city in Unova. If you had control of both, you'd have control of Unova's heart."

"Good idea, Dad," Iris said, forgetting formalities again. Well, even if some grunts might overhear, it was just family in the immediate area. "What would you think if I had control of Unova's heart, huh? Would it be a really big accomplishment?" Iris asked.

"Ah, with that I'd start to see my dream finally take shape... Just thinking about it, I start to recall what my dream was in the first place. With so many setbacks, more discouraging than you can imagine, I'd almost forgotten. I can't thank you enough for all the hope you've given me, Iris. I still cry for the tragedy that brought you to me, it almost makes me feel guilty for taking so much joy from having you for a daughter."

This wasn't the kind of praise that Iris had wanted. Actually, it was even better. Iris threw her arms around Ghetsis. "Thank you, Dad. Thanks so much. You don't have to feel guilty, because I'm happy to be your daughter now too. I love you, I'll do anything I can to help you!"

Ghetsis nodded at Iris, who turned to Anthea and Concordia. "Hey! You two understand, right? I'm gonna head to Nimbasa soon! Why don't you come with me? Huh? We'd have lots and lots of fun!" Iris gushed.

"How could we refuse that invitation?" Concordia asked with an amused smile.

"I'm sure there is plenty to do in that city," Anthea said.

"There's no place for you to stay there. You'd best stay here," Ghetsis pointed out.

Both women nodded silently, and Iris frowned. "Well, I'll find a place for you to stay," Iris promised. "So you can come along soon, okay?" Iris was happy to see her sisters agree with her as well. She'd keep her promise, Iris affirmed to herself. She appreciated her whole family. Even if it had been a bumpy road, she'd finally found her place in this kind of warm, supportive structure. From here, she'd do everything possible to support the ones she loved.


	4. Chapter 4

**4**

Bianca stood in front of the musical theater, staring at her phone. She swallowed nervously, not wanting to believe Cheren's story, though she still did. She had sympathy for him, also remembering her own encounter with Team Plasma and how awful that had felt, though the sentiment was soon relieved during that instance. It really had been lucky that Iris had been there that time. Without Iris as a guardian, Bianca would be without pokemon even now, the same as Cheren.

Bianca jumped in surprise as Iris grabbed onto her arm now. "Bianca! It's been so long, way too long," Iris said, nuzzling against Bianca's side. "I missed you so, so much. But now we're together, huh? Let me see this awesome musical!"

Bianca smiled at Iris's enthusiasm, and hugged her close. It really was lucky that such a close friend was nearby. Bianca had felt scared that what had happened to Cheren may happen to her again, but it wouldn't. At least not during the time where Iris was nearby. They could just enjoy this musical. "It's good to see you, Iris. I was in a musical, but it was yesterday. Today you'll just have to watch someone else. Well, maybe I could see if I could get a spot last minute..." Bianca considered.

Iris had been enjoying Bianca's close proximity during the hug, and then shook her head. "No, no, it's fine. You want to get a chance to watch too, right?" Iris said. Though both Bianca next to her and Bianca on stage would be enjoyable, Iris would rather have Bianca next to her when given the choice.

Entering the theater, Iris knew she'd made the right choice when the lights dimmed down low. She grasped Bianca's hand in the somewhat romantic setting and leaned against her. "Watch this," Bianca said. Iris sat up took note of all of the pokemon dancing in the spotlight. Eventually they did flashy things, some of them surprising. Iris took that opportunity to shout and move even closer to Bianca, or hold onto her tighter. As the lights began to brighten slowly, signaling the end of the show, Iris sat with Bianca a moment longer as they waited for everyone to clear out.

"Are you ready to go?" Bianca asked.

"Um, well, there's no need to rush," Iris said. "We don't want to trip over everyone, right?"

"I guess so," Bianca said, laying peacefully on the seat as the other members of the audience left. She looked at the new messages on her Xtransceiver as she enabled sound again, then turned off the display right away. Things had gotten worse, but Bianca could put off thinking about for at least a little while. Bianca instead turned to the pleasant girl beside her. "Iris, you know, I think I'm really lucky to have met you. And to know you now, as well as I do."

Iris blushed from the attention, but then grabbed Bianca's hand and squeezed it. She was the lucky one. Her crush on Bianca could have easily been one-sided, but instead things had developed so nicely like this. "I want to get to know you even better," Iris said, embarrassed at her own words as she spoke. She still looked Bianca in the eyes with a bashful grin on her face.

"I hope we can," Bianca said, grabbing Iris's other hand. They sat there a moment in silence before Bianca finally stood up and stretched, looked around the auditorium. The dim lighting showed that everyone else had left, other than an employee by the door gathering up the trash. "Hey, Iris?" Bianca said. She put her hand over her Xtransceiver, as if to block out anything it might say, though it was still off.

"Yeah?" Iris said. She was still laying back in the seat. Maybe Bianca wanted them to leave, but Iris wanted to savor the moment just a little while longer.

"Um, I guess Team Plasma really is starting to cause some trouble," Bianca said.

"You mean in Castelia?" Iris asked.

"Yeah," Bianca said with a nod. Of course Iris would have heard, and not been able to stop it. She might be able to get through the mess herself, but couldn't go up against the entire team. "No one can get in or out of the city now, right? I guess your brother has been busy."

"No," Iris insisted. "That's not N's Team Plasma that took over Castelia. It's my Team Plasma. N couldn't ever get off his butt and do anything. But I have my own Team Plasma faction now, and we took over Castelia as the first step of our plan. Well, the first major step."

Speechless, Bianca looked silently at Iris as the state of things was calmly explained. Iris spoke as if what she said was completely normal. When Iris finished, Bianca just stared, her mouth agape, wondering if she may have misheard, though knowing Iris spoke the truth.

Iris's confident expression broke as she saw Bianca's own shocked face. Her eyebrows raised. "Bianca? Hey, we aren't going to hurt anyone or anything. We're just trying our best to accomplish our goal."

"What goal?" Bianca asked.

"Well, Lord Ghetsis, my dad you know, he hates how cruel humans treat pokemon. So Team Plasma will make it so cruel humans can be separated easily from pokemon. My Team Plasma isn't going to be as rigid as N's. We don't want to separate all pokemon from all humans, just the cruel ones."

Bianca sat down, clenching her hands together in her lap.

"Hey," Iris put a hand on Bianca's shoulder, still concerned. "That's it, really. That's something all people can agree on, right?"

"Yeah," Bianca said. After another moment of silence, she again nodded. "I do agree, that people shouldn't be allowed to be cruel to pokemon. I just don't agree that Cheren's a cruel person."

"Cheren?" Iris repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"I mean, he's not an easy-going trainer either, not at all. He's serious when it comes to training his pokemon, but he's always kind to them and takes care of them. He'll push them, but it's not to be cruel, it's just so they can all get stronger as a group. I really do think Cheren's pokemon want to get stronger, and Cheren is just helping them. He wouldn't push them too far, though."

"Oh," Iris said. "Cheren... He's one of your friends from Nuvema, right?"

"Yeah," Bianca confirmed.

"I'd believe you, Bianca. When we have total power in Unova, I won't take his pokemon away," Iris promised.

"But they already did," Bianca said. "I don't know if it was your team or your brother's but they took all of Cheren's pokemon when he tried to go back to Castelia."

"Oh," Iris said. Her face flushed with embarrassment this time as she frowned. If only it was as convenient as N's allies stealing Bianca's friend's pokemon. But Iris knew it was almost certainly her own. Bianca's two friends from Nuvema were both good trainers that improved fast from Bianca's estimation. If either of them went to Castelia and tried to battle one of the grunts Iris had left there, Iris's allies would have taken the offending trainer's pokemon, per Iris's own instructions.

"Oh, well, Bianca, I guess it was my Team Plasma that took them," Iris admitted, not wanting to be dishonest at all. "You have to understand though! We just want to make sure no one can oppose us when we make the new rules the unbreakable law. So we have to take any trainer's pokemon that goes against us, even if they're not cruel, just to even things out. But if Cheren isn't cruel, I bet I can just get his pokemon back! Maybe if he wants to join us-" Iris stopped, seeing that Bianca was no longer looking in her direction. "Bianca, we- I don't want to hurt anyone, though."

"But you are," Bianca said. She saw Iris's crestfallen face, and put a hand on her shoulder. "I know your heart's in the right place, but Cheren was hurt when you took his pokemon. You can understand that, right?"

Iris nodded.

"Also, you really won't let anyone in or out of Castelia?"

"Well, yeah. If we do, someone could come in and upset the control we have there," Iris explained.

"Is it really worth disrupting everyone?" Bianca asked.

"We're not though! Everyone in Castelia now can just live their lives, we don't bother them at all," Iris said.

"Right," Bianca paused, then sighed quietly. "Well, Iris, I'm sure that's how you tried to have it be, but that's not how it is. My dad's stuck there. He really wanted to come see me on my journey, but now he can't. He can't go home either, and neither could I right now. It's not just our family, what if someone else left Castelia and now can't get back home? Castelia's a big city, so you probably upset a lot of people's lives."

Iris nodded. There was no way Bianca wouldn't be angry right now, with her dad stuck like that, and one of her best friend's pokemon stolen. Iris glanced back up at Bianca's, whose expression still appeared pleasant, though still with a hint of concern. Well, Bianca might not like everything Team Plasma was doing, but still liked Iris herself, Iris concluded. "I guess I didn't think too much about it. I just really, really want to reach Team Plasma's ultimate goal, you know?"

"Yeah." Bianca nodded. "You're so dedicated. It's really admirable."

Iris beamed at the compliment, but still realized not everything she was doing at the moment was admirable in Bianca's eyes. "I don't want people like you to be too disrupted by the whole thing though. I know what I'll do! I'll open up all the transportation I closed up. Then your dad won't be stuck, and I can keep fixing things from there. I'll make sure we're not being cruel while we're taking the power away from the cruel humans. That'll be good, right?"

Bianca nodded, and Iris rushed to her feet. "I'll go give the orders right now then! I'd better go outside before the next musical starts, this could take a while. Come on with me! We can still have some fun afterwards," Iris promised.

Bianca nodded. Iris then took the other girl's hand, pulling her out of the door to their next destination. It didn't take that long to make the right phone calls once she was outside. "Yeah, just let everyone through," Iris repeated the instructions to the grunts all over Castelia. "I know I said something different before, but this is what I'm saying right now!"

Iris eventually hung up the phone, and ran over to Bianca, who stood in front of the theme park, interacting with her Xtransceiver. "I did it! Everyone in Castelia can go where they want, and everyone outside can come in," Iris assured.

"I heard," Bianca said, looking up from her wrist and grinning at Iris. "I knew you'd make it right."

"Yeah," Iris confirmed. "Now, do you wanna go there?" Iris pointed to inside the park.

"Yeah!" Bianca exclaimed. "I've been there a couple times. I'll take you to the best parts."

After they'd significantly explored the park, Iris and Bianca walked down the street together to their next destination, hand in hand. Iris glanced at Bianca on and off as they walked. Bianca grew used to the warm feeling emanating from her date, and noticed right away when the attention stopped. Looking her way, Bianca saw Iris had a new focus. Gripping Bianca's hand tighter, Iris squinted her eyes a moment, studying the area down the way.

Bianca also looked further down the road they'd just turned onto. There was a group coming closer to them. As they got even closer, Bianca could make out the individual members. There were many people dressed in the eccentric Team Plasma uniforms, but also two plainer-dressed women and a man in cloak that Bianca guessed was Ghetsis. The man was tall, pale, and scowled even as Iris and Bianca got closer. Everything about him, both his appearance and his demeanor, was the opposite of Iris from Bianca's point of view.

Despite Bianca's hesitation, Iris confirmed his identity as she ran toward him. "Dad!" she exclaimed.

Ghetsis didn't warmly greet his daughter, instead glowered even further at him. "Iris," he said crossly, causing Iris's expression to change to worried as she dropped her arms. "What have you done?"

"Um? I didn't really do a lot today, I guess," Iris admitted.

"In Castelia," Ghetsis clarified. "The overall atmosphere appears to have changed. That has nothing to do with you?"

"Oh, that." Iris peered upward as she thought of what to say. "Well, I realized that it was way too much trouble for everyone to just block all ways in and out of the city like that. So I just opened it back up. It was kind of cruel by itself. We shouldn't make everyone suffer, right?" Iris looked at Ghetsis expectantly as she completed her explanation.

"You fool!" Ghetsis yelled in a grating voice, causing Iris to shudder. "How could you make such a incompetent blunder!"

Iris took a step back, but still stared up at Ghetsis without flinching. "B-But Dad, I-" she began.

"Did I ever have such an inept daughter?" Ghetsis asked in a low voice now. Iris's mouth fell open as he spoke. "No, I never would have welcomed one into my family."

"Dad, I was just-" Iris began.

"Don't address me as such, Iris, it causes me pain. Though I welcomed you with open arms after your tragedy when others would have left you homeless, you treat me as such now... That you'd provide me with such enormous hope, just to shatter it in the worst possible way, it's a pain far greater than never having had any hope to begin with."

"No! I didn't mean to do that," Iris insisted. She looked around at those watching. The plasma grunts all looked at her, as well as her sisters, and even Bianca had a concerned expression, all thinking of how awful Iris was for having done something like this, Iris concluded. Ghetsis looked away from her now, a pained expression on his face. She had disappointed everyone present. All the members of Team Plasma for counting on her guidance, Anthea and Concordia for having failed as a member of the family, Bianca for failing as a good person, and of course, Ghetsis.

Turning away from all the eyes starting at her, Iris looked toward the floor. "Forgive me, Lord Ghetsis," Iris begged as she groveled in front of him.

Ghetsis still turned from her. "I won't be so quick as to place my hopes on you again."

Iris looked up, and let out a cry without meaning to. She put her hand to her mouth, silencing herself. Iris looked up, and still spoke as she tried not to cry. "You can count on me, Lord Ghetsis. I'll make up for any mistake I made! I will! I will!" Iris declared.

"Well, we'll see," Ghetsis said, walking away. The grunts began to follow him.

Bianca shook her head as she looked at the girl that had prostrated herself on the ground. "Iris," Bianca began, reaching her hand out.

"I'm sorry," Iris said in an extremely controlled voice, trying to appear as strong as she could. Refusing Bianca's help, she stood up. "I'll... I'll talk to you later, okay?" Iris looked toward Bianca after that question, and was relieved as Bianca nodded her head.

"Come with us, Iris," Anthea said, holding out her hand.

"I'm sorry, Sister Anthea," Iris said.

"It's fine," Concordia assured, putting a hand on Iris's shoulder. "Let's just go have a nice dinner and get some rest, okay?"

"Okay," Iris agreed. She waved toward Bianca once more before walking off with her sisters.

•

Iris breathed quickly as she finished the battle. There were more and more of these trainers in Castelia, way more powerful than she'd seen before. Iris stood back and let her underlings take this trainer's pokemon. When they were done, she turned and left with them, all the while scolding herself for her foolishness.

Of course someone like Bianca, friendly and kind-hearted as she was, wouldn't know why what Iris had done was essential. Of course if they left the city open, more and more trainers would come in and try and stop them, and it might be difficult to do so. Bianca thought of things too simply, and not from enough points of view. People like Bianca sat back and thinking there might always be a peaceful way to solve things where no one ever got bothered.

Iris knew why it was appealing to think that way, but couldn't herself. Even someone as single-minded as N knew the folly of it. It was because of Bianca's kind of attitude that atrocities were allowed to continue. Iris liked Bianca, and wanted Bianca to like her just as much in return, but Iris had to remember to keep her head just the same. Mistakes like this couldn't happen. Not if she really wanted to help Ghetsis.

And she did! Ghetsis had helped many people and pokemon throughout the years, including Iris herself. Iris wouldn't let him live his life seeing his own dream go unfulfilled. It was a purely selfless dream, to see the end of human cruelty toward pokemon. Helping Ghetsis reach his goal would have Iris repaying her debt toward him, not that Ghetsis had ever demanded it be repaid. Iris did so because it was a goal worth reaching, and more simply, because she wanted to.

That was the same reason that Ghetsis had helped Iris herself several years ago, when she was still a kid. For no reason at all, Ghetsis had saved Iris's life. When that day had started out, Iris never would have guessed what was coming. She'd been playing outside with Fraxure, the pokemon that was now her haxorus, without a worry in the world. In fact, as soon as she was done playing on the swings and climbing trees outside of her house, Iris had planned to go have even more fun by battling. Before she could her dad - her birth dad, had come outside, looking weary.

"Hey, Iris," he called across the yard.

Iris leapt across the branches, swinging down from the tree and surprising him. "What is it?" she said with a grin.

"Me and your mom need a little help. Why don't you come help us prepare a few deliveries?" he asked.

"But Dad," Iris protested, pouting. "I promised someone I'd battle."

"Hm?" Iris's dad grinned at the idea. "Which fellow in town wanted a rematch against you? We might be delivering something in their direction real soon."

"It's not anyone in town," Iris insisted. "It's some wild pokemon I met in the forest. I promised them I'd battle. When I was training before I was too tired, and Fraxure too," Iris explained.

"I see," Iris's dad said, putting a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I guess a promise is a promise. Tell me and Mom all about it if things get interesting, will you?"

"Yeah!" Iris promised loudly. She felt guilty running off with Fraxure. Her parents both always spoiled her like this, letting her train and battle as much as she wanted more or less. Iris told herself she'd help later to make up for it, or at least share some fun stories about the battles she'd had.

But by the time she and Fraxure finished the battle against the various wild pokemon, and they all cleared away, Iris realized how hungry she'd been. Turning to Fraxure, she saw the same kind of expression on its face and giggled. "Let's go find some berries, okay?" she asked.

"Fraxure!" the pokemon said, lifting an arm up as it grinned.

They ran off further into the forest, where Iris climbed a tree, throwing down the pokemon berries that she found. When Iris hopped down, she found that she'd probably picked too many. Fraxure was already eating, so she began to as well. When they finished, Iris started to grab up the remaining that they hadn't been able to finish. "Hey, we should share with everyone, huh?" she said.

"Fraxure!" Fraxure agreed, and helped Iris to pick up the ones left on the ground.

The two of them went further into the forest, where they knew the pokemon they'd battled lived. All of the little deerling, axew, and fraxure happily greeted them, taking all of the berries Iris and her fraxure offered. When they'd finished eating they offered Iris and Fraxure some berries themselves.

Iris picked up the offer, observing it. She hadn't seen this kind before, but since the pokemon were offering them, they'd be safe. She passed some over to Fraxure. "Should we try it?" she said.

"Fraxure!" Iris's pokemon grabbed its own share.

"What an interesting flavor! Thanks!" Iris said to all the wild pokemon.

After the battles and the meal, they were both tired. Iris sat back to back with Fraxure, napping. When she stretched and opened her eyes, the sun was already pretty low in the sky. "Uh oh," she said. "We'd better get back before it gets dark. Wake up!" Iris pushed Fraxure to shake it awake.

"Fraxure." Yawning, Fraxure began to follow Iris. Iris knew where they were, but also knew they'd wandered pretty far from home in their fun. They might not get home until it was dark. Even knowing the worst her parents might do is tease about how scatterbrained she became while training, Iris felt guilty, and wanted to rush home and quickly as possible.

Just as Iris was thinking it might be nice to have a flying type to fly wherever she wanted and back quickly and easily, a shadow came overhead, landing in front of her and Fraxure. Iris grinned, recognizing the pokemon right away. It was the first, and at the time, only Hydreigon she'd ever met. Iris approached it. "Hey! Hydreigon!" she said.

Hydreigon let out a high pitched cry in response, and then the man it had been carrying hopped off. "It's been a while," he said. "You're Iris, I believe?"

Iris nodded.

"I'm Ghetsis Harmonia. Do you remember me?" he asked.

Iris did recognize Ghetsis. Even if she may have forgotten who he was without Hydreigon there, Iris remembered Hydreigon's trainer with the pokemon nearby. "Are you trying to get to the village?" she asked. Even though he'd been there before, it must have been at least a year ago, and it was getting dark, so it might be easy to get lost, even from the air, Iris reasoned. "I can show you the way!"

Ghetsis shook his head. "I've just come from there."

"Oh," Iris said. She looked ahead on the road, then back toward Ghetsis, wondering why he'd have stopped to greet her then.

"Iris, it's lucky I noticed you. I know it will be difficult, but please listen carefully to what I have to say. You can not return to your village," Ghetsis said firmly.

Iris looked up at him with disbelief. She trusted him only slightly more than just any stranger. He'd just been some guy with a cool pokemon doing research at their village. There was no reason to distrust him back them, but Iris couldn't make sense of such a confusing statement, either. "Why not?" she eventually decided to ask.

"Well, there's nothing left," Ghetsis explained.

Iris's eyes widened, and she again looked ahead on the road. What Ghetsis said still didn't make sense. It was like something from a nightmare. But this wasn't a dream, it was real life, and Iris knew from all logic and experience that this road led to her village, and couldn't think of any reason it may be gone. Land and homes didn't just get up and walk away, and even though people did, they tended to stay in the same place.

"Iris," Ghetsis said. He kneeled now, putting his hand on her shoulders. "It's only by luck you survived. I know it must be difficult, but your village is gone."

"Where did it go then?" Iris muttered dryly, thinking there would be no answer to that which made sense.

Ghetsis stood up. He still patted Iris on the shoulder, his face showing some sympathy. "Well, it's difficult for me to explain to a child."

"What are you talking about? Don't talk down to me before you even try and explain it!" Iris demanded.

"You're correct, of course. I apologize," Ghetsis said. "This will be difficult for you, but not because you're a child, because it would be difficult for anyone. Your village, the Village of Dragons, has been destroyed, completely. Including all people, pokemon, and structures. Everything is gone, and everyone is dead."

Iris's eyes again widened in shock, and she ran ahead. "Fraxure!" Fraxure called in warning, running after her. But it was Ghetsis that caught up and grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Let me go," Iris said. "I'm gonna go home. I'll see then if you're telling me the truth!"

"I can't allow you to do that," Ghetsis said. "Understand, it would be irresponsible of me to let you run over there right now. It's still very dangerous."

"I don't care!" Iris insisted. "I have to go see if Mom and Dad are okay, and if any of their pokemon are around."

"They aren't," Ghetsis said.

Iris felt like her heart was breaking at his words, and this time felt frozen to move. She eventually spoke though. "I'll go see it myself."

"Hmph." Ghetsis dropped her arm. Iris looked back at him, and he nodded. "I understand. It's necessary for some people to see the remains at a funeral to fully accept the loss. I won't stop you, Iris. However, I'd like to be the one to take you, so that I can be sure you're safe while doing so. It would be irresponsible for me to allow you to go on your own. Do you understand?"

Iris nodded. She returned Fraxure to its pokeball, then got on Hydreigon with Ghetsis. Iris could see the familiar landscape below easily as they rose up. As they went into the air, Iris noticed that there was a strange glow in the distance, where the village ought to be. As they flew even closer, she could see the smoke rising into the darkened sky. Hydreigon maneuvered toward the part of the village where Iris lived with her family, and Iris saw her entire home consumed in the flames.

"NO!" Iris shouted. She lost her balance, and it was only from Ghetsis's arms keeping her steady that she was able to avoid falling from Hydreigon. "Mom! Dad!" Iris shouted. There was nothing she could see resembling anyone she knew in the disaster, and no sign of where any person or pokemon she knew may have gone in the overwhelming blaze.

"Hydreigon, retreat," Ghetsis said, motioning away from the area. Hydreigon shrieked that it had understood. It landed once they were far from the area.

Iris got off the pokemon, trembling. She was already crying, though she hardly realized it. "Mom and Dad are-"

"Those that attacked made sure none of the locals escaped," Ghetsis explained.

"Why?" Iris shouted.

"I had only arrived in the middle of it all, continuing my research from the previous year. There was some kind of disagreement."

"What kind of disagreement is that? Why would they do something like that?" Iris demanded.

"I'm not exactly sure of the reason," Ghetsis said. "But is there any reason that would be satisfying to you?"

"No! There's no reason for that," Iris shouted.

"Of course not," Ghetsis said. "I can't imagine there would be. Iris, come with me. I can't allow you stay out here alone."

Iris had nodded, agreeing to go along with Ghetsis. She'd been such a brat to him after that, Iris recalled, as if he was the person to blame for what had happened. But he wasn't. In fact, he was the only one to make sure she'd be safe, being patient with what she'd done afterward, and even going to the extent of allowing Iris to be a part of his family.

If it involved an immeasurably large group like all pokemon, or just one person, Ghetsis went to extremes to help others. Iris understood that, even if people like Bianca couldn't. Iris not only wanted to return the favor, but also be that same kind of person. She wouldn't ever abandon this task, no matter how difficult it was. Nor would she allow N to destroy Team Plasma's noble purpose in his shortsighted vision. Iris would just wait patiently for her turn to teach N a lesson, then finally reach Team Plasma's true goal.

•

Anthea and Concordia sat on the bench in Nimbasa's theme park, staring out at the fun. Gardevoir and Gothitelle stood behind them, fixed in place. Concordia closed her eyes and breathed in the air, hearing the sounds of the children having fun nearby. She opened them and stretched her arms. "My good Lord N would enjoy this place, wouldn't he?"

"Yes," Anthea agreed. "Given the right context, of course. Lady Iris has already enjoyed it."

"Yes, hasn't she. It's too bad we couldn't come as a family," Concordia said, sighing as she peered toward the sky.

"It might be nice, but it's not in the cards right now. Why don't you enjoy it now yourself?" Anthea suggested, motioning toward where the rides and activities were. "Gothitelle and I will hold your places here."

After that suggestion, there was only silence. The two women stayed in the same place, calmly observing their surroundings. Finally, the one they'd been waiting for arrived.

"Gothitelle."

"Gardevoir."

As both pokemon walked up and greeted him, N smiled at them, then nodded to his sisters. "Is Iris nearby?" he asked.

"No, she went back to Castelia this morning," Anthea informed.

"Good," N said, clenching his fist. "She's damaged our cause considerably. I can't forgive her."

"Oh, has she really done that much damage?" Concordia asked, putting her hand on N's clenched fist.

N laxed, putting his hands to his side. "I suppose not. Those that defaulted to her side were never loyal to begin with. The pokemon Iris gives to her comrades were already forced to live with humans to begin with. I'll free them all soon, no matter where they are."

"Hey, N," Anthea began, patting his shoulder. "Are you sure you wish to continue pursuing this cause?"

"What are you saying, Anthea?" N said with a frown. "Of course. Why would you ask that?"

"Well, I'll support you in anything you want to do, any cause your heart leads you to," Anthea assured. "It's just, is this truly the cause of your heart? And the way you'd like to go about it? Or were you influenced by Ghetsis? When children grow up, it's inevitable they may fall short of a vision of a parent, but it's alright."

"It's not Ghetsis's vision, it's just the way things have to be," N said. "I wasn't led by Ghetsis at all. I decided - No, I already knew how things should be myself. It would be easy for anyone, including Ghetsis, to come to the same conclusion. So why do you doubt this, Anthea?"

"Well, I will also happily support you in all of your journeys through life, my Lord N," Concordia said, bowing slightly. As she looked up, she saw N's gaze pointing toward her now. "Anthea's words are something to consider, however. I see this entire situation has caused you great strife. Your friends won't blame you if you take a few moments to consider yourself."

"So that's it," N said. He relaxed as he stared toward the colorful rides. "I understand now. Thank you for your consideration of me."

"It's nothing, Lord N," Concordia assured.

"I know that your cause is with me, but the only reason I was given your support at all is so I can help my friends. So just the same as you dedicate yourself to me, I'll dedicate myself to them."

All present were silent now, and then N turned back to his sisters. "Thank you for everything. But don't worry, Iris won't be able to deter us for long. The sages as a group are still on my side, and they have always had a ultimate plan upon finding their true king. I'm confident I'll be able to liberate my friends once it's fulfilled." After finishing that reassurance, N sighed, taking the peace he knew Concordia wanted him to have into his heart, and remembering the love for the pokemon that Anthea wanted him to focus on. He turned toward the two goddesses once more. "I'll call on you later, alright?"

Anthea and Concordia nodded, looking at N as he walked away. Once N was no longer in sight, Anthea turned to Concordia. "Shall we enjoy the park then?"

Concordia looked toward the rides, then toward her sister and the pokemon. "Let's go home," she said.

Anthea shrugged, but said nothing else as she followed Concordia out of the theme park. They both got a stamp on their hands in case they'd want to come back later, then returned Gothitelle and Gardevoir to their pokeballs before walking down the streets of Nimbasa toward another of their makeshift homes.

Concordia stop their stroll a moment, looking toward the side, furrowing her eyebrows. Anthea followed the other woman's gaze until she saw the somewhat familiar girl running toward them as well. Upon reaching the women, Bianca stopped, breathing heavily. "Um," she began, but then had to catch her breath.

"Are you-" Anthea began, trying to recall the various places she may have seen this person.

"Are you two... Iris's older sisters?" Bianca asked.

"Yes," Concordia confirmed.

"Oh," Anthea said as she remembered Bianca. "You're Iris's first crush, aren't you?" she said.

"Ah-" Bianca grinned sheepishly, unsure what to say.

"Don't embarrass her," Concordia said, and beamed reassuringly at Bianca. "Yes, we're Iris's sisters. Though it's the first time we've met, I feel I know you well, Bianca. Iris speaks of you nearly every time we see her now."

"Be sure not to break her heart too badly," Anthea said.

"I-I-I wouldn't," Bianca said, blushing now. "I mean, I really care about Iris too. I'm worried about her. I mean... That man... Well, I guess he's your father too... Sorry, I don't mean to be nosy. When I saw that, I got a little worried for Iris..."

"We know the feeling," Concordia said, trying to keep the smile on her face. From Bianca's alarmed expression, she could tell it was likely still concerned though. "Don't worry. Lord Ghetsis wouldn't harm Lady Iris," Concordia assured. "Though he can be a harsh man, he won't hurt those he sees as valuable, and Iris is very valuable to him."

Bianca raised an eyebrow, thinking the wording they used was a little odd. Wouldn't anyone consider their close family members to be immeasurably valuable? "Um, I just... It's just, Iris has been involved with some bad stuff, and that man... Ghetsis was really mean to her, so I was worried. I guess it's not usual though. Iris says her dad's a great, kind man," Bianca tried to reason away what she'd seen.

"Iris does greatly admire Lord Ghetsis," Anthea said with a nod.

"Lord Ghetsis has provided her with everything since her parents' untimely demise," Concordia said.

Bianca's eyes widened. "Iris's parents-"

"Oh, I shouldn't have said anything if Iris herself didn't want to," Concordia said with a frown. "Well, it should be alright. Now you'll know why it's best to avoid that topic, right?"

Bianca nodded. "I didn't mean to push. I won't mention it to her... But is she around?"

"No, she went back to Castelia," Concordia said.

"Oh," Bianca said, looking toward the ground. "I guess I won't see her for a while..."

"Hey, cheer up," Anthea said, then grinned as Bianca looked back up. "I know Iris wants everything to do with you, so if you want to see her again, it shouldn't be too difficult," Anthea finished with a wink.

Bianca felt her face heat up, then bowed at the women to hide her blush. "Thank you," she said quickly. "Good-bye then."

Bianca hurried off, and Concordia smiled. "Bianca, wasn't it? She is a cute girl. Iris was lucky to find someone like that."

"You think having someone from the outside in Iris's life will make a difference?" Anthea asked.

Concordia shrugged, and they continued on in silence. As they were about to arrive at their dirty, dusty, 'home' in Nimbasa, Anthea sighed. "I'd rather not go there just yet," she admitted.

"I'm not up to a lot of activity," Concordia said.

"Maybe just the library then?" Anthea said, nodding toward the nearby building.

"Alright. That sounds quiet enough for me," Concordia said, then entered with her sister.


	5. Chapter 5

**5**

It had taken a while to gather the support. Even longer had been spent on training everyone, then testing the group to be sure they'd be ready for the challenge. Both Castelia and Nimbasa were Unova's 'heart', were they? Iris grinned as she stepped into Nimbasa early in the morning, looking around as all of her pieces took their place around the city, ready to take absolute control over the area.

The last time she'd been there, she hadn't just been playing around. Well, maybe she had been just a little, but at the same time been observing the city as a whole. She'd found the places where most people came in and went out of the city, and ordered various grunts there.

Then the fun part began. Iris at first let her grunts battle, and just watched them, helping them to make the decisions of which pokemon to leave and which to take. "Be sure you take them all," Iris advised. "If it's worth taking one, then it's worth taking all of them, because they come from a powerful trainer," Iris informed.

"Some powerful pokemon are attached to weak trainers, right?" one of Iris's right-hand grunts asked.

"Hm. Yeah, that's true," Iris admitted. "But it's powerful trainers we want to stop ourselves from having to fight. That's what you need to remember. So you just need to take all pokemon from the powerful trainers, both strong and weak, so those trainers won't be a threat. Then keep track of who it was, so we can be sure so take any pokemon from them again if they try to go up against us. Before those pokemon get too strong, I mean."

"Right!"

"So, where's the list of trainers you all took from in Castelia while I was gone?" Iris asked.

"Um," the grunt Iris was talking to looked upward. "Well, you just told us this now, so we haven't kept a list from then."

"We will from now on," another promised.

Iris nodded before taking out her phone. She put it away quickly, not sure of what she'd say even if she were to message Bianca. Iris had thought of finding the grunts that took this Cheren guy's pokemon, and then just taking all the pokemon back, presenting them to Bianca with a smile, like they'd never really meant to do anything bad, and things were okay now. But that didn't turn out to be something she'd be able to do. "Hey," Iris began, turning toward a female grunt, who walked around with an Emboar. "That pokemon does seem to be really powerful."

"Oh, thanks." The older girl beamed at the compliment, though it was directed toward her pokemon.

"Where did you get it?" Iris asked.

"Um, I didn't, someone gave it to me," the grunt explained, looking toward the others around them. "Where did you guys get this pokemon?"

"I don't remember getting any emboar," the grunt she'd spoken to replied.

"Well, it was a pignite when you gave it to me."

"I don't remember! It was some trainer that gave us a lot of trouble. I think. I wonder which pignite that one was, anyway."

Iris shook her head. Finding who had battled Cheren then eventually acquired his pokemon would be difficult indeed. Then finding his pokemon, which had been dispersed among various Team Plasma members, would be another challenge. Though Iris wanted to do this for Bianca, it couldn't really be done so quickly and simply.

At least not without getting sidetracked away from her important goals, Iris realized. She couldn't get distracted again by what she wanted to do for a pretty girl, Iris told herself. Gaining control of Nimbasa may earn back Ghetsis's trust, or possibly heal the wound left from when he'd thought he couldn't rely on Iris for hope again. She was going to accomplish his goal, change the world how he'd imaged Team Plasma might for years, and soon.

Iris stood by the entrance to the theme park. She recalled the last time she'd be there fondly, with sweet Bianca by her side, the two of them really for a fun and semi-romantic time. This time was different. Iris had various loyal grunts looking at her for directions. "Don't go in looking like troublemakers," Iris warned. She even paid for her ticket with a smile, leading by example for her grunts to do the same. When they all were through the gate, Iris shrugged at them. "Knowing what we've done already, and what we're about to do, anyone who we want to battle here should challenge us themselves."

After giving the directive, Iris went off toward her own destination. She already knew the park well, and hoped that Elesa would finally be there to accept Iris's challenge, then be thoroughly trounced, proving Iris's superiority over any other trainers in Nimbasa. Even if Elesa wasn't exactly the strongest trainer in the city, she was the most visible. A gym leader's defeat, with pokemon being removed, that couldn't be ignored, Iris knew.

Stepping closer to the building with the roller coaster where Elesa had all of her official gym battles, Iris began to feel more and more excited. Some truly awesome trainers held the title of gym leader, Iris had heard and learned firsthand with Burgh. Would Elesa have that kind of strength? Iris had no doubt of her own win, but hoped for an exhilarating battle like the kind she'd had in Castelia gym. Would Elesa be even more of a challenge than Burgh? Iris daydreamed about the possibilities as she raced forward on the roller coaster car with the Plasma grunts next to her.

The ride that currently passed for Nimbasa gym was a little like a maze, but Iris eventually found the place where Elesa would certainly hold her battles. This platform was larger, with various lights to highlight Elesa's presence. It was all completely dark now, to the point where Iris had trouble seeing what might be there. "Go find the light switch or something," she ordered to the Plasma grunt.

"Right," they said, and fanned out in front of her.

Before anyone go too far, the bright spotlights turned on seemingly all on their own. Iris put up a hand, and squinted. Looking around, she hoped to see Elesa, but couldn't spot that attractive gym leader anywhere. Instead, a group of about five others approached them. Iris knew Elesa's face well from her media appearances, but none of faces of those present matched in the least. "Hey!" Iris spoke loudly and boldly. "I've come to challenge your gym leader, so get here out here, okay?"

"What's this?" the girl in the front of the unknown group spoke. "Miss Elesa isn't taking challenges, because she'd not even here right now."

Iris scowled. "Why not? Hasn't she been gone long enough? She's a gym leader, right? Does she ever even have any gym battles?"

"Of course!" a boy in the back spoke now. "Miss Elesa battles almost endlessly whenever she takes the stage here. She just has other responsibilities too."

"Hmph." Iris folded her arms. "She should decide if she's a trainer or a fashion model. Well, it doesn't matter. I'd have control of Nimbasa if she's here or not. You all, beat these trainers," Iris ordered, sweeping her hand in front of her.

"Iris!" one of Elesa's understudies spoke again.

Iris looked over to the trainer, pleased she'd be known by name, without even having been introduced. "What is it?" Iris asked.

"We're all here to battle in Elesa's place. We'll beat your grunts, but we'll also beat you. So don't turn away!"

"Oh, interesting," Iris said. She took out her pokeballs, ready to battle. Maybe one of these people might give a good battle, working closely with one of Unova's treasured gym leaders and all. "I accept. Whichever one of you thinks you can actually beat me, let's go."

All five stepped forward at once. Iris picked the one that had spoken up at first, then soon defeated her. After battling and winning against two more, Iris left the remaining two to her grunts. As Iris healed her pokemon from the previous three battles, her allies won the final two battles. Iris turned from Haxorus over to the nervous losers. "Too bad for you all. I could tell how determined you were. But that's not enough, since I'm even more determined to reach my goal!"

"You'll never reach your goal," one of trainers Iris had defeated spoke up. "You can't take over Unova! No one wants that, so someone will stop you before then."

"You all really don't understand anything," Iris said in a low voice.

"What's that?"

"Never mind!" Iris said in a louder voice now. "Nothing I say will get through to idiots like you." From her experience in Castelia, Iris had figured out that those that were convinced of Team Plasma's goal being 'conquest' would never be convinced otherwise, no matter how wrong it was. They were simpletons, wanting to oversimplify Team Plasma as being bad guys that wanted to take over the world. The simple-minded would never accept any other explanation, just peg their group as 'evil' or something like that. Even though Team Plasma wasn't the bad guys at all, though Iris wasn't simple-minded herself, knowing that Team Plasma's detractors weren't exactly 'bad guys' either.

Iris turned away, only glancing at the plasma grunts that had accompanied her. "What do you think?" she asked them.

"Lady Iris?" they questioned.

"I mean, about these trainers? Do we take their pokemon, or leave them? Tell me what you think of each of them," Iris ordered.

The grunts exchanged glanced, before one finally spoke up. "I say we take the pokemon from all five of them."

"Good!" Iris praised gleefully. "I've taught you well. Nope, none of these five should be allowed to keep their pokemon." Iris turned back to the opposing group, who looked just as incensed by her words as she'd known they'd be. "Unless one of you want to join us?" she suggested.

"How could we do that?!"

"I guess not," Iris said with a shrug. She hadn't expected any of them would want to, even before they'd battled. People like this, already accepted in some part of the trainer world, they typically didn't. In fact, if they had accepted her offer, she might be suspicious. "You all take care of them," Iris ordered her underlings. She wasn't that worried about the humans on her side being outnumbered. Other grunts were all over the gym as well as the park itself, and would help them out if needed. Iris walked away, getting on the roller coaster to check on how everything else was going.

As Iris exited the dimly lit gym to the outside, she sighed and squinted at the sunlight. What was there left to do? Everything had been set into motion. She could just relax, but she mostly felt bored. If only someone would show up and challenge her, thinking they were some hero of right, that would right all of Team Plasma's wrongs. Iris would be happy to tear them apart, and declare that nothing Team Plasma was doing was wrong. Iris daydreamed about an even more exciting time taking over Nimbasa as she wandered through the park.

"Iris!"

Iris looked around upon hearing the fearful cry. She thought she'd recognized the voice, though the fear made it hard to remember whose it was. Iris's mouth fell open as she saw the person in front of her. It was unmistakably Bianca, who clutched her bag, pursing her lips as she frowned and looked at Iris, much unlike the cheerful person that Iris knew.

"Bianca!" Iris called as she ran toward her friend. "What's wrong?" Iris asked as they were closer.

Bianca looked around, then back toward Iris, her eyebrows raised. "What's going on here, Iris?" she asked in return.

"Oh," Iris said. She'd actually thought that Bianca would be nowhere near Nimbasa, and have moved on to Driftveil. That's what had been implied when they'd messaged together, anyway. But here Bianca was, calling Iris on her group's behavior. Iris knew it must seem bad to an outsider, especially Bianca. "Well, we were done in Castelia, so we came here."

"My dad's still stuck there," Bianca said. "Also, someone took Hilda's pokemon. I don't think you'd want to hurt people... Right?"

Iris felt her guilt increase as she met eyes with the girl she loved, so she looked away. "Hey, it's not like I want to hurt anyone at all," Iris began, then looked up at Bianca, meeting her in the eyes again. "Especially not you!" Iris declared, grabbing Bianca's hands, and feeling relieved as Bianca's expression softened.

Though Bianca didn't pull away from Iris's assurances, she looked toward the ground. "It really is very hurtful though," Bianca said. "Everything's that's happening, I mean. I thought you were going to try and avoid hurting anyone else, and let people go where they needed. But," Bianca continued, her grip on Iris's hand slacking. "You do keep hurting people, Iris! Everything that Team Plasma's doing is really bad. You're not in charge of it, right?"

"I am!" Iris declared. Now Bianca really did pull away, frowning. Iris felt withdrawal, and wanted to grab back the other girl's affections right away. "You just don't understand, Bianca. I'm trying to help everyone, not hurt," Iris explained.

"I want to," Bianca said. "I really, really want to understand, so please explain it to me. I'm listening."

As Bianca met her eyes in an expectant silence, Iris was momentarily at a loss for words. She opened her mouth not once, but twice before realizing how difficult it was to explain. Iris eventually took a deep breath, deciding to begin with her own broken promise. "Well, as far as transportation goes, cutting it off only hurts commerce. People can still travel on pokemon," Iris said.

"Not everyone has a pokemon with that kind of move," Bianca said.

"Right, you don't, I know," Iris said. She reached into her pocket, and pulled out the item she'd been saving for her grunts. She could get more later. "This is a hidden machine. It can teach some pokemon the fly move. If you don't have one, I'll help you catch it!"

Bianca did take the HM, but then was silent, looking back at Iris, apparently waiting for further explanation.

"Well, I'm just working for the pokemon, you know," Iris said sheepishly, wishing she could be as confident explaining this to Bianca as she was when explaining it to her underlings. "I'm gonna end human cruelty to pokemon, for good. I guess not everything I do to reach that goal is great, but I have to, because if I hesitate that kind of cruelty is just gonna continue."

Bianca nodded, smiling, though Iris could still clearly see the hesitation on the other girl's face. "You really are a good, kind person, Iris," Bianca said. "I know you're trying your best with what you think is right, but I really, really disagree that you shouldn't hesitate in what you're doing right now."

Iris frowned, nodding at Bianca. Though Bianca's reprimand was really the nicest a scolding could possibly be, Iris felt the worst at receiving it. "I guess we're just gonna disagree," Iris said. "I'll prove I'm right as Team Plasma gets closer to its goal, though. But it doesn't really matter that we don't agree on everything, right?" Iris paused, and as Bianca didn't respond, she continued. "Even if you don't agree with how I'm trying to help all the pokemon of Unova, I really like you. I think I might love you, actually." Iris paused, blushing as she realized she was saying things she might not want to in her rambling. She closed her eyes and spat out the next question. "We can still be together like we have been, right? After all, you like me too, don't you?"

Bianca's face returned to its default kind expression, and Iris felt some relief enter her. Bianca even pat Iris's shoulder. "Thanks for the HM," Bianca said. "But you know, I'm really not sure about all of that."

Bianca's smile was nervous, like she really wasn't sure, instead of just rejecting Iris outright. Iris still felt as if her own heart was breaking though. "Sorry if I hurt you, or anyone else," Iris began, trying to remain controlled. "I'm still gonna prove I'm right though! I hope you'll accept me then!"

"Iris," Bianca began.

"We are gonna talk again, but I'm really busy right now! Let me know if you want to catch pokemon together later."

With that, Iris left, trying to shake the feelings that went along with Bianca's rejection, and instead concentrate on the success here. Though overall unsatisfying and undramatic, with the lack of an interesting battle and all, it was still a success at the moment. Would Ghetsis be pleased, even if Bianca was anything but? Would Bianca ever think of Iris fondly again, even when Team Plasma finally gained control and freed all the pokemon from the cruel trainers?

Iris rejected the question from her mind, even as she felt her heart break at just the thought. Ghetsis had experienced much worse in his long quest. No, Bianca didn't understand. Iris really couldn't hesitate, even with Bianca's rejection. It was much more than one person, many in Castelia, now Nimbasa, and certainly other places around Unova hated her now. Even if there was one person whose acceptance Iris wanted that also rejected her, that couldn't deter her. It couldn't be different than any other one person's misgivings, Bianca's feelings on the matter. Iris could, and would, use her own resolve to reach her goals, no matter how anyone else might feel about it.

.

The next day, Iris wandered toward the Charizard Bridge, not feeling much better. She tried to fight her depression as she walked across the bridge alone. The wind blew without mercy, clouds starting to cover up the sun. Iris scowled. Ghetsis had said it would be good to go to Driftveil next. Iris agreed that west was best than east, since Black City wasn't as important of a place, but Driftveil still seemed so boring. Could anything exciting happen over there? As Iris got closer, she observed all of the dull orangey-red and grey buildings and decided not.

It would take a lot to impress her after the neon lights of Nimbasa, and the tall, varied buildings of Castelia though. Iris tried to get excited about going to a new place. There was a market there were lots of interesting stuff, she'd heard. Maybe she could find something nice for Bianca there.

Thinking that, Iris's mood fell right away, to worse than what it had been to begin with. Bianca had basically dumped her. Iris sighed, looking downcast. Would Bianca ever think of her in a positive way again? Would Iris even get to talk to the other girl?

Being so caught up in her own thoughts, Iris didn't even notice the large pokemon before it roared in her face. Iris looked up at the druddigon before backing off. She wasn't afraid so much as surprised, as well as a little embarrassed that she hadn't noticed it before then. She had to stop feeling sorry for herself, Iris thought before nodding at the large pokemon, hoping to let it know she didn't mean to upset it.

As she did, a man stepped out into view from behind the druddigon, grinning. "Iris, right?" he asked.

Iris's eyebrows raised. She hadn't been expecting to be greeted by any of her allies, in or out of uniform. This person wasn't in uniform, but it didn't mean he wasn't an ally. "Who are you?" Iris asked.

"I'm one of the defenders of Driftveil. I'm afraid you won't get very far here, little lady."

Iris scowled. She'd been hoping to get a good feel for Driftveil before doing anything, but that wouldn't happen. "How did you recognize me?" Iris asked.

"I know you're camera shy. This was just a lucky guess. Not many other people have been coming from that direction, and those that have haven't been powerless-looking little girls."

Iris gripped her pokeball, not liking this guy's cocky attitude. She'd show him how powerless 'powerless-looking' in his eyes was. As Iris got ready to release her own druddigon for battle, more people appeared behind her. "Oh, is it time?" one man said, tossing up a pokeball.

"Yeah, this is who we've been looking for, I'm pretty sure."

"How interesting," another unknown trainer said, taking out his phone. "I'll call everyone else!" As he took out his phone, he threw out a pokeball, along with his two friends. Iris found herself faced with the fully evolved versions of all of Unova's 'starter' pokemon. How distasteful, that they'd ambush her like this. Iris was sure she could handle even the four of them, but if more came in the meantime, and then more and more after that, maybe she'd be overpowered. Iris looked back at Charizard Bridge, deciding to make a break for there.

So she ran. "Hey, you aren't trying to escape a trainer battle, are you?" one of the trainers called after. They pursued her on foot, running toward the bridge along with her.

Iris swapped out the pokeball she'd been planning to use for another. "Unfezant, go!" Iris shouted. She hopped on her pokemon, crossing over the river where the drawbridge was now lifted. She noticed it was being lowered again as she flew, and could see the aggressor trainers in the distance crossing it as she landed. "Damn it," Iris swore under her breath.

"Lady Iris!"

Iris looked to her other side, seeing some allies coming from the other direction. She caught her breath, walking at a leisurely pace toward them. Eventually, both groups met her, nearly at the exact same time. The guys that had mocked her before now looking a little nervous, though they didn't retreat.

"Lady Iris, what's going on?"

"Those jerks think they could gang up on me," Iris accused, pointing at them. "You guys take them on. I won't forgive you if you lose!"

The battles began, with the Plasma grunts taking on the three trainers, and Iris deciding to take on the dragon type trainer herself, as she'd wanted to originally. Her druddigon made quick work of the other. Iris eventually nodded with satisfaction, glad to see the man's cocky attitude had completely disappeared upon his defeat. Iris grinned. "You guys, take all of their pokemon!" she ordered. She didn't bother asking any of them to join. If they were the type that thought it was okay to gang up on someone like that, she didn't want them.

Luckily more grunts had showed up in the meantime, and the offending trainers were easily separated from their pokemon. "I'd like to see you jerks try and stop me from taking over Driftveil!" Iris dared, then laughed as she realized there was no way that they could, with no pokemon and all. "You really think it'll do any better than Castelia? I'll beat your gym leader, then I'll claim the whole city for Team Plasma." Iris turned to the trainer which had gone for his phone. "Go ahead and call anyone you want!"

Iris then realized she'd gone overboard in her anger, as well as the fear she'd felt when she'd had to flee. As she tried to calm down, a grunt came over to her. "Lady Iris, what now?"

"Now, we're gonna move into Driftveil right away," Iris said. She'd wanted to think about it more after seeing the city, but taking more time to plan would only give anyone that opposed her more time to plan. "You, you, and all of you," Iris pointed to some of the tougher looking grunts present. "You can all cross the bridge right now. Don't pick any fights, but if anyone picks a fight with you, you'd better not lose."

Iris then began to walked back to Nimbasa. With trembling hands, she called others to meet them. She had been afraid, but really had no reason to be. She was strong, and had a lot of strong and loyal underlings that she'd help train and get pokemon herself. As they all met nearby the pokemon center in Nimbasa, Iris began to explain what her hastily made plan was. Basically, power, and a lot of it. Driftveil as a whole was stronger than Nimbasa, but could it really be stronger than Castelia, particularly after all of those practiced trainers had come to Castelia to try and push Team Plasma out?

Iris didn't think so, and also considered that her Team Plasma had grown even stronger since then. She'd just have faith in everyone, and not rely on tactics as much here as she had before. There was just one thing she was going to do though.

Looking at the grunts, Iris found the shortest one, only a little taller than Iris herself. "Hey, you," Iris said. "Come with me." Iris led her underling to the public restroom. "Take off your uniform," Iris said.

"Ah... Lady Iris?" the woman said, blushing.

Iris was embarrassed herself. She hadn't meant it like that. "You have some street clothing, right?" she asked.

"Not on me, no."

"We'll just switch then," Iris said, then nodded to herself. That actually went along best with her idea.

"Oh," the woman said, realizing Iris's plan. They got into the stalls, undressed, then redressed with the articles of clothing thrown over the middle. Walking out of the stall, Iris adjusted the uniform, looking at herself with a satisfied smirk. It wasn't the first time she'd worn a Team Plasma uniform. Remembering the last, Iris began to think how fun it was and giggled. Pulling the hood over her head, Iris wondered how long it would take even those she knew well to recognize her. Maybe they wouldn't, at least not from a distance.

"Lady Iris," the grunt Iris had taken the uniform got out of the stall herself. "It's a little tight."

"Sorry," Iris said with a sigh. This lady was a grown up, so even though the two of them were close in height, other measurements were off. "It looks like it might be uncomfortable, but it still fits, right?"

"Right."

"Good, because now you're gonna be 'Lady Iris'," Iris said.

"It would an honor."

Iris nodded, taking another look at the women. This person didn't resemble Iris that much. The new "Lady Iris" also had long dark hair, but besides being older and a little taller, she also had fair skin and freckles with a completely different face from the original. "Come here," Iris said. Taking the ornaments out of her own hair, she pulled the lady's into a similar hairstyle. They smiled at each other before taking another look in the mirror. This fake Iris wouldn't fool any of the current grunts for even a second, but Iris only wanted to fool the people she'd never met before. As they exited the room, Iris glanced again at the mirror, this time from a distance. Yes, this getup was good enough.

.

In the grunt's uniform, Iris was able to maneuver Driftveil freely. Though people were on the lookout for Iris, Iris as she was now just looked like one of many Team Plasma grunts, and a less threatening one as a young girl. All of her grunts recognized her, and followed her orders without question of her dress, and none of the bystanders really noticed that structure of command much. Iris laughed as she wandered through the market, those around avoiding eye contact with her.

Getting to the edge of the market, which hadn't really interested her much, Iris noticed some defeated trainers stood conversing in low tones. "Hey," Iris began the conversation. The group tensed up, glowering at her, though they apparently didn't consider her a threat. Well, Team Plasma members weren't attacking the helpless, Iris considered, then continued her thought. "Where's the gym in this city?"

"You don't need to bother going to the gym," a woman spoke to her.

"Why's that?" Iris asked.

"Clay isn't even there."

Iris scowled. Clay wasn't there? He wasn't there in the same manner Lenora hadn't been 'there' in Nacrene, most likely. What else did that gym leader do besides gym battles and dig even deeper holes in the ground? Unlike Elesa, or even Lenora, his occupation didn't have to involve traveling at all, did it? The mine was right there in Driftveil, the same place that his gym was. There was no way he wouldn't be hiding in his hole in the ground.

Iris ran away, fuming as she thought of how Clay must be thinking of running away, avoiding his inevitable defeat. Looking at a map outside the pokemon center, she then located the gym/mine in the distance. Iris clutched her pokeballs as she ran toward it. Clay couldn't have gotten far. He had to still be there, and Iris wasn't going to let that guy get far.

Iris knocked on the door. As there was no answer, she knocked louder. Some lady eventually opened the window. "I'm sorry, we're closed for today."

"Just let me in," Iris said, kicking the door for good measure.

"I'm sorry, I can't just do that."

"Damn it," Iris swore, then threw out a pokeball. "Go, Haxorus!" she shouted. "Slash the door down!" Iris ordered her pokemon as it appeared.

Iris stepped through the destroyed entrance. The lady which had addressed her through the window now fled away from the building. Oh well, Iris thought. She'd find this gym leader herself. Seeing the lift in the middle, Iris grinned. She'd chase him out of the hole himself.

But that was easier said than done. Though the elevator looked simple, Iris couldn't figure out how to use it. Just press the button, right? Iris mashed it over and over again, but it wouldn't work. Looking around, she couldn't find any other sort of switch that might turn the thing on. Sighing, Iris sat on the ground, looking up at Haxorus. "Sorry. We'll just wait until he comes out. He'll be out when he's hungry, right?" Iris laughed to herself, then crawled over to the lift again, shouting down the empty space, "Are you gonna hide like a rat? Just hide then!"

"Excuse me."

Iris stood up, seeing the calm newcomer, an older man, and felt somewhat embarrassed, but then shook off that feeling, standing up and facing him.

"I believe the gym was closed," the man spoke to her again.

Iris nodded. There was something about this man. He had to be a really powerful trainer. Iris could tell, just from how he carried himself, or maybe a sixth trainer sense. There just might be a good battle in Driftveil after all, Iris considered. "You gonna battle to get me out then?" she dared.

"I see no need for that," the man said, pointing to the door. "You should know the way."

Iris clenched her jaw. "You're welcoming me to the city then? Do you want me to tell everyone what a coward you are, just refusing my challenge and letting me win without a fight like this?"

"Hmph." The man even dared to turn his back to Iris, staring out at the city. "Young lady, what is it that made you join this gang? Is it for pokemon? You must know of the professor in Unova that will gladly assist young people like yourself with acquiring pokemon and all the initial steps in becoming a trainer. There was no need to steal as you have." The man turned in Iris's direction again, seeming to glare at her as he did. "That haxorus appears extraordinarily well-trained. I wonder what kind of trainer you had to take it from. There's much more satisfaction in helping to raise a pokemon like that up yourself, rather than taking it away from everything it knows, you understand?"

"Idiot," Iris finally spoke back. "Stop lecturing. You don't know anything!"

"Oh? What is it I've mistaken?"

"This haxorus is mine, and I've been its only trainer, ever," Iris said. "Right, Haxorus?" As the pokemon roared in agreement, Iris continued. "Also, even though Team Plasma does have to steal pokemon, it's not to be mean or anything. You're thinking of things too simply."

"Well, perhaps I don't know everything that goes on in your group. I have to admit I've reconsidered my own beliefs listening to Ghetsis in the past. However, there are some things I just outright oppose, and Team Plasma has crossed those lines as of late. I can't allow any of what's gone to continue."

"Oh? You can't allow it?" Iris repeated, nodding to herself. "Well then, put your money where your mouth is and battle me, since I'm in your gym challenging you!" Iris then paused, realizing that she hadn't quite identified herself yet, so she flipped her hood down. "By the way, you've also mistaken who I am. I'm Iris, the future... the current Queen of Team Plasma."

The older man raised his eyebrows. "Iris, are you? I'd heard you were young, but I didn't realize you were just a child."

"Hey! Don't be so rude! I'm not a child, just because you're such an old grandpa," Iris said humorlessly.

"Well, age hasn't impeded the impression you've been able to leave." Iris was pleased as the one she'd challenged reached for a pokeball without a second thought. "It's just a shame there's nothing admirable about that impression."

"Like I care what you think, Grandpa. Enough lectures, let's just battle already," Iris said.

"I accept your challenge. But just so you understand, this isn't my gym."

Iris watched as the man threw out his own pokeball, then instantly knew who he was as the haxorus appeared across from her own. "You're Drayden," she said.

"That's correct."

"I was going to save you for my grand finale before I destroyed the whole league," Iris said with a sigh. "Not that I'm complaining. I'm super happy you've decided to show your face, in place of the leader here who just hides!"

"I assure you that Clay is not hiding. He's caught up with some business in Castelia. It involves complications caused by your own antics there, I believe," Drayden informed.

"Hm." Iris frowned, thinking it was just an excuse, but not going to insist on that. She should just forget about it, as fighting Drayden, the dragon type gym leader was a far more appealing option than that hole in the ground guy. Iris nodded to herself, then pointed forward. "Haxorus, dragon dance!"

"Haxorus, you also try dragon dance!" Drayden said.

Across from each other, the two haxorus were almost like a mirror, letting out a cry before they began their flashy dance. Iris grinned, seeing the two high level pokemon perform such a great move, loving just the visual of it all. Maybe her Haxorus looked just a little better while doing the move. "Haxorus, dragon tail!" Iris shouted.

"Dragon tail!" Drayden spoke nearly at the same time as Iris. The two pokemon also hit each other at the same time. As the attacks matched each other, the two both rebounded backward, scratching even the concrete ground underneath them.

Iris looked up and met Drayden in the eyes. The ground underneath them was hollow from what she recalled, though she didn't know the exact layout. Could it withstand a pokemon battle like this?

"Haxorus, slash attack!" Drayden ordered, his determination and fervor not at all lowered by the damage they were doing around the relatively small room.

"Haxorus, slash!" Iris shouted. She'd only hesitated that brief second because she thought the old man might. Now that she knew he was in it for the long haul, so was she. Even if the ground caved in, as long as they were all conscious, the battle would continue.

The two haxorus slashed, again in near unison, damaging each other considerably. But as Iris and Drayden ordered them to repeat the attack, they again went after each other, their cries echoing through the large room as they hit. "Once more!" Drayden ordered, his hand extended.

"Again!" Iris shouted, her fists clenched.

The pokemon showed just as much determination as their trainers as they slashed each other again in a lightning quick movement. "Dragon tail!" Iris shouted, and noticed that Drayden's haxorus slashed at her own, the dragon tail attack missing. "Again!" Iris shouted, and her pokemon finally knocked Drayden's backward, splitting apart the wooden desk near the entry. "Alright!" Iris shouted, and her haxorus let out a cry of satisfaction.

It was an exhilarating battle, with another dragon type just as powerful as her own. Iris noticed both of them showed the wear of taking the constant hits, but still stood tall, ready to fight back and prove their own strength. Iris wanted to win just as badly, and gave the order for her haxorus to try another dragon dance. Drayden gave the same order. Iris clenched her fist and had her haxorus try to dragon dance yet again, and so did Drayden.

Both trainers felt the need to attack at this point. Again, they ordered their pokemon to try a quick slash attack. Both haxorus cut forward with their long claws, and eventually, fell to the ground. Iris ran to her pokemon's side, knowing it was as good as KO'd. "That'll be all this time, Haxorus," she said, and peered toward Drayden's.

"Haxorus, that's enough," Drayden spoke to his own pokemon, which could barely stand up. Iris's haxorus shook off her reassuring pat and forced itself to its feet with a roar, which Drayden's also stood up with will and faced its opponent. "Haxorus, I said that's enough!" Drayden shouted. "Know when you've reached your limit."

"Ha, same could be said for you, Haxorus," Iris said to her own pokemon. Along with Drayden, she returned her pokemon to its pokeball, before its pride could fall along with its body. "Not bad, old man," Iris said, taking out her next pokeball. "Go, Hydreigon!"

"Go, Druddigon!"

Iris had to giggle to herself seeing the other trainer's pokemon appear. She almost felt like her current opponent was a sort of kindred spirit, choosing the same pokemon, even concentrating on the same moves? Iris's pokemon could certainly use them better though, so they'd absolutely win. "Hydreigon, let's go! Surf!"

"Druddigon, revenge!"

Hydreigon called upon the force of water from somewhere. Though it didn't have much effect, Iris hadn't chosen the move for damage purposes. Both Drayden and Druddigon were taken off guard. Drayden hung onto the handle of the lift to keep the force of water from sweeping him off his feet before the rest of the water went down the mine like a drain. Druddigon itself became covered in mud, but the well-trained pokemon didn't slip, hitting Hydreigon hard with its horn.

"Ouch," Iris said, knowing firsthand from her own druddigon's use of that move how much damage it could cause in certain situations. Hydreigon momentarily fell, but soon flew again, screeching as it waited for Iris's next command.

"Alright," Iris said with determination, thinking of what move she might surprise Drayden and Druddigon with next. She could try and shock them and build up special power with charge beam, or just go for an outright assault with dragon pulse, since Druddigon would take more damage from that already, dragon type pokemon being weak to dragon type moves and all. Would Hydreigon's power be enough to have a major effect?

As Iris's thoughts raced, she heard a commotion outside. "Lady Iris!" a call rang through the destroyed entrance.

Not now, Iris thought with a frown. Looking toward Drayden, she could tell he was thinking something similar. Iris sighed. Just in the moment, she'd forgotten all about why she'd been battling, and just had some fun battling instead. But she couldn't really do that now. "Hydreigon, return!" Iris shouted. Hydreigon shrieked in protest. "I know, we were just getting started," Iris said. Though she was just as disappointed as her pokemon, Iris returned her pokemon to its pokeball anyway, then turned to Drayden. "I want you to leave," she said.

"I see no need for that," Drayden said. "Let's continue the battle."

"Not now," Iris muttered, then stood up tall, raising her voice to Drayden. "I really don't know if you'd beat me or not if we kept battling," she said.

"So then, let's-"

"I do know if my fellow Team Plasma members come in, I'm going to have to let them help if it looks like I'm losing, so you'll lose no matter what," Iris said. She peered back toward the door, where the group was getting closer and closer. "I don't want that." Iris spoke in a low voice now. "So, since you know you'll definitely lose if you get ganged up on, why don't you leave?"

Drayden nodded. "Just so you know, I will return to battle you later."

"Yeah, and then I'll beat you with just my own power," Iris promised. Drayden went out the door just as the Team Plasma members came in.

"Hey, that was-" one grunt began, looking back at the departing gym leader.

"What happened here?" another asked more interested in the state of gym, with the busted open door, muddy, cracked apart floor, and demolished furniture than anything else.

"I guess Clay's not here, so I just beat a few trainers," Iris informed quickly. "What about you guys?"

Everything was going fine, according to the other plasma members. Instead of being relieved, Iris had to force herself to listen. That battle could have gone either way, and it was a shame to end it. Iris almost wished she could just end this quest, and instead have some fun battling other trainers with her pokemon.

But that was a wholly selfish notion, Iris realized right away, and did force herself to pay close attention to everyone's words. Fun times like that would come, waiting until after she'd finished with everything else she'd come to do.

"Wasn't that Drayden, the Opelucid gym leader, heading out of here?" the grunt that had noticed originally asked Iris after everyone else had finished their reports.

"Who knows?" Iris said with a shrug, looking away guiltily. She hadn't directly lied, but she was trying to hide her own selfish actions in letting someone that outright said he'd return to oppose them again go. Well, everyone made mistakes, and she'd done plenty of other things for Team Plasma in the meantime. Today was an overall success, Iris convinced herself. Thinking of what might be next, Iris finally pushed everything else from her mind.


	6. Chapter 6

6

N brushed his hair out of his face, pulling it back into the original ponytail as his sisters approached. He nodded at Anthea and Concordia, then smiled at Gothitelle and Gardevoir, which accompanied them. "Hello, Gothitelle. What do you think about what's been going on?" N asked.

"Gothitelle," Gothitelle said.

"Is that right. I have similar sentiments," N said.

"Lord N, it's good to see you. How have you been?" Concordia asked.

N quietly sighed, unable to think of an answer. He spotted some Plasma members out of uniform in over by the pokemon center building, and walked toward them. "Excuse me," N said only as he bumped one of their shoulders, and looked at one of their pokemon, a bright green deerling. "What's happened?" N asked the pokemon.

"Dee? Deerling," the pokemon said, looking at the ground.

"That must be difficult," N said.

"Deerling! Deerling," The deerling continued the conversation until one of the humans approached and it scurried away.

"Hey, get back here," the Plasma grunt demanded, then took out a pokeball, returning the deerling inside.

N now paid full attention to the humans present. There were about four Plasma grunts, this group all in full uniform. "That one has been through a lot," N said to the human with deerling's pokeball.

"What?"

"First with having to adjust to a human who called itself its trainer, and now being taken away from that human and having to adjust to you. I object to this."

"Oh? Hey, that's N," one of the other humans informed.

"Lord N, is it?" another Plasma grunt mocked.

"That's correct," N said. He glanced over at Anthea and Concordia who had caught up to him, and now stood in silent support. "You have other pokemon to assist you already, correct? Let that one go."

The man with deerling's pokeball looked away, almost rolling his eyes. "I don't feel like it."

"Why don't you just get out of here, N."

"Right, you're not our king."

"How rude are you," Anthea interrupted. "This is the King of Team Plasma you're speaking to. Given the history behind the uniforms you wear, you owe him basic respect."

"Hey, listen sister-"

"That's correct, we're the sisters of Lady Iris, who you now accept as your queen," Concordia said, glaring at the Plasma grunts. "As peacekeepers in this conflict, we respect your allegiance, but not your rudeness. Apologize to your Lord N, and don't use such a tone with him again."

The Plasma grunts were silent now. The deerling trainer stepped forward, his head bowed. "I'm sorry," he said. "I can't do as you say, since I answer to Lady Iris."

N just barely nodded at the man before stepping away. Anthea, Concordia, and their pokemon followed him. Once he was a distance away, he was able to speak to them. "What difference does it make how they say it?" N finally spoke as he turned to look at Concordia.

"A great deal of difference. Words spoken kindly are what have built up Team Plasma as it is. You know that yourself," Concordia said.

"Then why is it falling apart?" N said, looking at his open palms as if something were falling through them. "Team Plasma as it is now isn't anything like it should be, at least not the faction under Iris's control. Traumatizing my friends even further, turning more and more people against us... What a contemptuous, evil person Iris has grown into."

"Please," Concordia begged with a sigh. "Don't speak of your sister that way. I know you're a much kinder person than you're acting right now."

"I've been nothing but kind to Iris!" N declared angrily, then swallowed, trying to calm himself. "Yes, Iris is a child that has became my sister. So what happened to my sweet sister?"

N paused, thinking of the younger Iris who would follow him around whenever possible, happily so. She would provide comfort to pokemon that needed it, and sit silently and listen to all of N's lectures. She'd be his practice audience, allowing him to fine tune his message for when he went and spoke to the masses.

Not that this unpolished message had any lesser effect on the young girl. "I wanna be in Team Plasma!" the younger Iris would often declare. She'd ask to come with N whenever he left, over and over again. In her enthusiasm, she'd found a uniform and put it on. "Does it look good?" Iris had asked N, though she'd been naughty and put it on without permission. "I've got to come help you, big bro! I'll be the perfect helper, I know I will!"

"What happened to Iris," N muttered to himself now. "What happened to that loving, supportive girl?" He looked at Anthea and Concordia, not expecting them to answer but wishing there was a satisfying answer at all. "Iris never used to question me at all. So why does she speak out against everything I stand for now?"

"Wait a minute there, N," Anthea said. N looked in surprise at her somewhat sharp tone. Anthea lowered her voice and continued. "Iris is a human being, with her own thoughts and feelings, separate from yours. Did you really except she'd never try and find her own life?"

Concordia gaped at Anthea, but N just nodded. "Well yes, that's right. Inevitably, Iris was going to grow up to be human," he said. "I suppose humans are just that terrible."

Anthea shook her head before she continued, her voice quieting even further. "That's not what I was trying to say. Just that Iris has a right to her own life."

"I understand," N said. "Thank you both for always supporting me, despite how you feel about anyone who opposes me. I'll be in contact after my next task is completed," N said.

"Safe travels, my lord N," Concordia said.

"Gothitelle!"

"Gardevoir."

As the pokemon gave N pleasant salutations, Anthea was unable to speak. "Be very careful with what you say," Concordia said to her as N was far enough away.

"It doesn't matter," Anthea said. "He didn't understand at all."

"I did," Concordia said. "The truth is, you'd rather have had your life to yourself, isn't it?"

"That's right," Anthea confirmed. "I envy Iris's boldness. I wish I'd been able to reach out and take what I wanted in life, choose my own path, my own love, like she is now."

"Hm. Iris wasn't with us for most of her upbringing. I imagine her birth parents encouraged such qualities," Concordia mused.

Anthea nodded. Ghetsis, on the other hand, discouraged both Anthea and Concordia at any instance they spoke even a hint of something not to do with echoing his prescribed role for them. They should always be sweet and speak with kind words. Though Anthea disagreed with N's recent declaration that it didn't matter how something was said, she wished her could have used her own harsh words whenever there was someone deserving, and be firm whenever she had something serious to say, and really wanted someone to listen.

Iris had come to them speaking that way. Anthea had never seen Ghetsis discourage the young girl from her outspokenness. Even when Iris had been loud and opinionated among the seven sages, it had either gone without comment or even been responded to. Anthea would have liked that kind of regard, and found it difficult not to be jealous of her younger sister.

"It would have been nice to meet them," Concordia said.

"Hm? Meet who?" Anthea said.

"Well, Iris's birth parents," Concordia said.

"That would have been completely impossible, wouldn't it?" Anthea said.

"That right, isn't it," Concordia said with a sigh. "Well, Iris had her own path to follow, and we have ours. There's no changing that, really."

"Who says," Anthea said angrily. She'd tried to control her anger, but now stood up, her body tense as she glared at her sister.

"You know it's just the way things are," Concordia said, patting Anthea's shoulder in consolation.

"Who decided how it is?" Anthea demanded. "Things aren't the way they are just because they fell that way randomly! We're capable of our own choices, and so are others. Ghetsis is as well. The way things are now is the way he'd like them to be, isn't it?"

Concordia's mouth fell open again, and her eyebrows raised in concern. Anthea could tell she'd upset the other woman, but couldn't bring herself to care, being too upset all on her own. "Never mind," Anthea muttered. She turned her back and began to walk down Driftveil's windy streets, brushing the hair out of her face as the wind blew it there over and over again. "Just leave me alone a while," Anthea said to Concordia, seeing her trying to follow.

Concordia silently complied. Anthea eventually found a bench to sit nearby the market, trying not to cry in public, with all of the people walking by who might see her, and was mostly successful in that, just wiping one silent tear from her eyes. It was very, very difficult not to be jealous of Iris. With N it had been easier, since there was obviously something 'different' about him right from the start, and he'd had his own issues. Iris on the other hand, had come to them already having had the kind of life Anthea might have liked to. Funny enough, the age Iris was upon being brought to live with them as a family, Concordia had been that exact same young age when N had been brought to live with her and Concordia.

Anthea could remember it easily even now. Ghetsis had carried the wild, frightened looking little boy through the doorway when he'd come home that day.

"Lord Ghetsis," Concordia, then a mere ten years, greeted him. "Who is he? Is he alright?"

"Both of you keep away," Ghetsis ordered.

Then their dwelling had been much smaller, so it had been harder for Anthea, even younger than Concordia, to keep away as much as Ghetsis would have liked. Besides the size of the place, Anthea was also curious, and peered from behind the corner when she could to see who the newcomer might be. When she heard the boy cry and shout, seemingly in pain, Anthea didn't think twice before running into the room.

It turned out it was just Ghetsis giving him a bath. "Get out!" Ghetsis shouted.

Anthea and Concordia were given their basic needs such as food during the first few days the young N had been there, but otherwise completely ignored. The young Anthea couldn't help but be jealous of N for getting all that attention then. She calmed herself with the realization that he was a lot younger than her, and needed some comfort, as he appeared afraid of everything.

Eventually, Ghetsis had found time to converse with the two girls. When the young N had finally gone to sleep, Ghetsis rested himself on the armchair near the door. "Concordia... And you too, Anthea, come here," he said. As the girls ran up to him, eager for attention, he smiled at them. "You've been really patient with this loud child. I thank you for that. I've always known you were patient, understanding, and caring little girls."

Anthea felt happy to be praised as such, and exchanged smiles with Concordia before looking back at Ghetsis. "He is in need of a lot of care, as I'm sure you can gather," Ghetsis explained. "I do plan to keep him here. I hope you're both prepared for that, and to help out as necessary."

"I want to help!" the younger Anthea declared. She looked at the ground, but was pleased to note as she glanced up that instead of being angry at her for speaking out of turn, Ghetsis met her gaze, nodding with approval. "I'll do my best," Anthea said in a quieter voice.

"I want to help him as much as I can too, Lord Ghetsis," Concordia added.

"Good, good. Girls are natural caretakers, and you two are so considerate on top of that. I'll count on you for all of this."

Taking in the weight of her new responsibility, Anthea nodded with a smile on her face. Right after the conversation ended, she went into the kitchen with Concordia and helped to start the meal. Hearing N cry in the back, Anthea volunteered to be the one to get him. She took him to the potty, and then to the kitchen for dinner. She'd helped to set the table so nicely, and put N on a chair before going to help Anthea put the food out.

As soon as they placed everything out and went to sit down, N pushed the table over. All of the freshly cooked food spread out onto the floor, several dishes breaking. Anthea looked at the little boy with surprise. N didn't say he was sorry, didn't even look at the girls who had gone through so much trouble to cook for him, just stared at the ground with a blank face.

"What happened here?" Ghetsis said as he walked in. Anthea tensed up, ready to be scolded, and right after she'd promised to try her best, too. "Oh," Ghetsis said with a sigh, and pat little N on the head. "Be kinder to your new caretakers, young N." Anthea felt relief, but still some apprehension as Ghetsis turned toward her and Anthea. "The two of you are extremely patient and understanding. You really are good little girls. I know better than ever that I've chosen the right people to rely on."

Ghetsis's praise not only gave Anthea relief, but had her wanting to try even harder. She helped clean and potty train N, even as he pushed her away and refused to interact. He had special needs, and required an endless supply of understanding and patience, Anthea had thought at the time. It was only when she saw N outside with the pokemon that she realized she was wrong.

Around the abused pokemon that Ghetsis had saved and brought to live with them, N was completely different. Instead of the blank face, he smiled and laughed. Instead of having no reaction to anything going on around him, N played tag with the pokemon, purposefully meeting their gaze. Instead of being thankless with any affection offered him, N hugged the Darmanitan as it gave him a berry, then climbed the tree to offer Darmanitan a different type of berry from up high. He even appeared to talk to them, pointing at the different size berries as Darmanitan decided which one it liked.

How could this be the same child? Anthea wondered this to herself as she walked up to the pokemon. "N," she called. As if a switch were turned off, N stopped responding, turning his back to Anthea as the pokemon ran away, huddling against the side of the building. N stood in the same place, staring at the ground. Anthea reached out a hand to him. "It's time to go in," she said. N slapped her hand away. Anthea frowned. "It's really time, it's getting dark soon," she said, this time forcefully grabbing N's hand, and pulling him in her direction.

N pulled away again, walking toward his pokemon. He turned around to face Anthea, though he still gazed at the ground. Anthea heard him mutter something. "What it is?" Anthea asked.

"Go AWAY!" N shouted. As Anthea stood in shock at the first words N had ever spoken to her, he started to repeat them over and over again.

Anthea trembled at the outright rejection, but still forced a smile to her face. "It's okay, N," she said softly. "You can play with your friends tomorrow... Okay? How about we get some pokemon food for them, then we can have our own supper... Alright?"

N had eventually agreed, going back to his robotic state as he allowed Anthea to lead him by hand, grab some pokemon food, and go back. He waved at the pokemon with a smiling, easygoing face, which turned cold as soon as he turned back to Anthea to walk back inside.

If nothing else, Anthea had realized from observing N with the pokemon, that he was smart, and capable of learning even more. With Concordia's help, she made some tracing sheets, as well as a chart for him to follow what he was writing.. He was maybe four years old, and that was more than old enough to start learning some of the basics.

N was mostly cooperative at this point, and sat at the table as directed. However, after Anthea started showing him what to do, helping him hand over hand to trace the first example, he just slacked his hand as she let go, allowing the pencil to fall, eventually rolling on the floor.

Showing her patience, Anthea picked it up, placing it back in front of N. "It's your turn to try," she said.

N only stared at the pencil. He eventually just pushed his chair back from the table, ready to get up. "Wait," Anthea said. "You should at least try! We went to so much trouble."

"Right, just give it a try," Concordia added.

"Leave me alone," the young N said in a soft voice, standing up from the table.

"N, we're just trying to help you," Concordia said.

Concordia's reaction exemplified patience and understanding. Anthea's was different. "That's right! So sit back down and do it!" the younger girl demanded in a shout.

Anthea realized her mistake right away, and hoped that little N wouldn't be so offended by her harsh tone. As N turned around, Anthea half expected to see him in tears. However, N was just as calm and placid as before. "I don't have to do anything you say," N said coolly before running off.

Anthea swallowed and bit her lip as she cleaned up the school-like setting she'd worked hard to make with Concordia. As she looked in the backyard and saw N playing so easily with the pokemon, giving them affection so easily, she felt on the verge of tears. She'd tried her best with N, to care for him perfectly and make him feel loved, but N himself only implied hatred in return. Why? Anthea was beyond frustrated as she thought of it.

All of it came to a crux as N refused the meal that she and Concordia prepared afterward. "Leave me alone," N said again as Anthea called him inside. "I'll find something to eat with my friends."

Running inside, Anthea did begin to cry, sitting in the corner of their living room and burying her head in her arm. Nothing she did mattered. Though she was chosen as a caretaker, N would rather Anthea just be gone, not around at all. She'd tried hard to the perfect, kindest, most patient and understanding caretaker for this needy little boy, but it didn't matter either way. If she was kind, or if she spoke harshly, N reacted the same way.

"Anthea," Concordia said, running over and shaking the other girl's shoulder. "It's okay, so just stop it. Just-"

There was a moment of silence, and Anthea eventually looked up and saw Ghetsis standing over her. If he scolded her, it wouldn't matter, Anthea considered. She already felt so miserable, and besides, she deserved to be scolded for having failed so badly.

Instead of doing that, Ghetsis sighed, sitting down on the nearby armchair instead. "What is it, Anthea?" he eventually asked with an impatient tone.

"It's N," Anthea said.

"Anthea," Concordia warned in a harsh whisper.

"Hm? I think he's been adjusting well here, especially considering his past. Don't worry," Ghetsis said, almost sound bored.

Anthea looked over at Concordia, who appeared relieved at their father's dismissive reaction, then back at Ghetsis. She stood up, being bold in her great upset. "It's not fine," Anthea said. "Concordia and I- I mean, I... I'm doing my best to care for him! But N doesn't care, he says he doesn't even need me. He just hates me. I'm trying to love him like a mom, but he just hates me so much."

Anthea was sure Ghetsis might yell at her, and didn't much care at that moment in time, being ready for an argument. But instead Ghetsis just smirked and nodded. "Yes, that sounds just like something that boy would do," he said. "I apologize for your grief, Anthea. Don't worry, I'll make it so N understands your love and loves you in return."

"You can't just make someone love, can you?" Anthea asked.

Again, Ghetsis smirked. He tittered even as he stood up, and then patted Anthea on the head. Afterward, he walked toward the door to the backyard. "Come with me," he said, motioning to the two girls. As a group, they walked through the door, finding N with the pokemon.

"N, what are you doing?" Ghetsis asked.

"Taking care of my friends," N said.

"What makes you think you can do that, at this moment?" Ghetsis said.

"You said!" N challenged, glaring over at Ghetsis.

"Yes, I did tell you to be sure to take care of everyone back here. But did I also tell you to upset your caretakers?" Ghetsis said.

"I don't need them here," N said.

"You fool," Ghetsis shouted, causing Anthea and Concordia to cringe. He went over and took N's hand, dragging him over toward the two girls.

"Please, don't upset him. It's fine, really," Concordia assured.

"No," Ghetsis said. "N has to understand exactly what he's done and why it's wrong in order to grow into the man he needs to become. N, apologize to Anthea and Concordia!"

N just turned his head away. "They shouldn't be here," he said.

"And why is that?" Ghetsis asked.

"They're human! Humans upset my friends."

"What about you, then?" Anthea said.

"I wouldn't upset them! But you should just leave," N said, glaring at Anthea and Concordia.

"Quiet," Ghetsis said to both of them. Once the children were silent, he spoke again. "N, don't be a fool. You think I would allow any harmful entities here once I'd gone to so much trouble to save those pokemon?"

N's only response was to frown and look away.

"I wouldn't and I didn't!" Ghetsis insisted. "Anthea and Concordia helped care for these pokemon, long ago while you were gone. The pokemon respect them, and you should do so in return."

"I want them to leave," N said sulkily.

"How can you still be so foolish! You still speak to these two that way? You still have no idea who they are?" Ghetsis said. As N looked up as him questioningly and attentively, Ghetsis continued. "I never informed you, as I thought you'd figure it our yourself in time. I never imagined you'd be so impudent and shun them."

Having so idea what he was talking about, all of the children remained in a stunned silence. Ghetsis eventually threw his hand out, as if presenting Anthea and Concordia. "N, these two are goddesses, sent from places beyond to care for you."

Open mouthed, the young N stared at Ghetsis for what he'd say next. Ghetsis nodded. "Truly, they are not human at all! They are only taking human form to care for you and allow you to reach your ultimate destiny. This is Anthea, Goddess of Love, here to provide you with all of the love you need and more. Don't you dare deny the Goddess of Love your own love in return! Only with love can you become the kind of man who can free pokemon from human control, so don't shun the very deity of it."

Anthea was silent at her new introduction, and so Ghetsis moved on to Concordia. "This is Concordia, Goddess of Peace. Peace is what pokemon like them want!" Ghetsis motioned toward the pokemon who, by habit cowered whenever most humans were around. "You understand that, boy?" Ghetsis asked. N nodded. "So," Ghetsis continued. "If you mistreat a deity of peace, you'll never reach it for yourself, nor anyone else. Don't forget that!"

N's lip quivered as he pursed it and then looked at Anthea and Concordia nervously. "Don't worry, N," Concordia said, reaching down to hug him. For the first time, N didn't reject the affection. "We love you. We just want to help you the best we can. I hope you can understand that. Then you can be happy yourself when you stay with us."

"Ah, the Goddess of Peace is so forgiving," Ghetsis said. "And you feel the same, don't you, Goddess of Love?"

Anthea nodded. Even at the time, as young as she was, Anthea knew that this sudden declaration of her and Concordia's origin was pure nonsense that Ghetsis had likely made up on the spot. It worked though. In his young, innocent state N had accepted the entire story, and started to warm up to Anthea and Concordia near instantly, never showing any kind of hostility or hatred to them again.

Even now, as an adult, N was so innocent that he still believed the ridiculous idea totally. Anthea had wanted to tell him the truth when he'd been younger, but now, she'd accepted his strange view of their familial relationship as just the way things were. It wasn't bad, Anthea had decided, it just was.

But it hadn't gotten that way by accident. Things 'just were' because Ghetsis wanted them that way. He purposely steered events in a certain direction. Anthea had best forget about her jealousy, of Iris, of N, of anyone who was allowed to take their life in the direction they wanted, and just remember that one important fact. No, destiny wasn't random. Seeing the results of the one who deemed both her and himself a living deity, Anthea knew firsthand.

.

Iris had to admit she was nervous. She had no reason to be, she tried to convince herself. Castelia and Nimbasa were still under Plasma control, and Driftveil had been taken over as well, all in one full swoop. Ghetsis had to be pleased with her now. Everything she'd done had to have made up for her mistake with Castelia, which was a long time ago by now.

Waiting by the Driftveil pear with her underlings, Iris had plenty of time to think of what may go against that sentiment. She'd again been selfish. Just like she'd wanted Bianca's approval and affection, and allowed that to overtake how she knew things needed to be in Castelia, she'd made another mistake in Driftveil, just based on her own whims. Iris thought of Drayden departing Driftveil gym a few days ago. He hadn't been seen by anyone in Team Plasma since then as far as she knew, and nobody knew what had gone on, but at least one person had recognized the guy as he walked right past them. Iris had let her own selfish, overwhelming desire to battle him fairly overtake how she knew things should be. By now, Drayden could have gone around telling anyone that story. Besides, he was at a much higher level than even the trainers they stole from now thinking they might be a threat, and could really harm Team Plasma's mission.

Iris paced around and sighed. One of the grunts waved her hand. "Don't worry, Lady Iris, I'm sure Lord Ghetsis will be here soon," she said.

"Oh, right," Iris said. That lady had mistaken the cause of her worry, but maybe she ought to be worried about Ghetsis. That old guy Drayden could have challenged her dad and found some reason to put him in jail, since it was known that Ghetsis was a leader of sort in the group. "I just heard from him," Iris said. Looking at the time of the message, and where Ghetsis said he was at the time, it made sense that he may not have reached Driftveil already. "He'll be here soon."

Ghetsis soon arrived, showy as usual in his robes, with several lines of Team Plasma grunts following him, some with flags in hands. Such symbols representing not only dreams and pride but real power now, Iris thought to herself. She stood in her Team Plasma uniform, the hood pulled down, to greet Ghetsis. "Lord Ghetsis," she said with a bow.

"Hello, Iris," Ghetsis said.

Iris was pleased to hear Ghetsis's calm tone, indicating he wasn't at all angry with her. Not that he had reason to be at all, with all of her successes, Iris thought, straightening her back as she faced him. "Driftveil City is now Team Plasma's. It can be changed to Team Plasma's vision, the same as those other two cities were," Iris informed.

"Ah, how wonderful. The steps you've made seem like giant strides in my eyes," Ghetsis said.

Iris beamed. "I just wanted to- I mean, I'm trying my best for your vision for Team Plasma, Lord Ghetsis."

"I know you are, my daughter," Ghetsis said. "All that's been done is amazing, much more than I've imagined we could ever accomplish in these recent, hopeless years."

"I wouldn't let you down, Dad," Iris said.

"No, you wouldn't, would you?" Ghetsis said. "Which is why I'm sure you're the right person for my next, most imperative task. Though the pace we've been going toward this goal has quickened, it's still far too slow, do you agree?"

Iris raised an eyebrow, not having expected Ghetsis to say anything like this. "I know I still have a long way to go."

"Perhaps. Or perhaps we could call upon the power of one of Unova's guardians to correct the grievous state of things," Ghetsis said.

"Unova's guardians?" Iris asked. "You mean like Zekrom or Reshiram?"

"Of course," Ghetsis said with a nod. "You are the only person I can think of that's worthy enough for this honor. You can take up the banner of the previous hero of ideals as Zekrom's new guide, to reach the ideal in the current world. I know it will accept you."

Ghetsis nodded at the grunt next to him, who walked to Iris, handing her a bag. Iris tore it open eagerly, then grinned as she saw the shimmering, dark stone. "It's really Zekrom in here, isn't it?" she said, grinning. With this kind of pokemon by her side, it really wouldn't matter what kind of pokemon or trainer would stand up against her.

"That's correct. Go free it at the place it was born, Iris," Ghetsis said.

Iris nodded. She knew well what place that was from all of the legends she'd poured over even before moving to Unova. Dragonspiral tower was a place she'd always wanted to visit, and it wasn't that far north. She could race there right now, and was going to. Zekrom, an amazing dragon type, would be the perfect addition to her team.

In her excitement, Iris was careless,and didn't notice as the grunts stepped out of line, two of them grabbing one of her arms each. Iris dropped the bag containing the sealed Zekrom, and it rolled away from her. "Hey!" she shouted at the grunts next to her, who hadn't made some kind of mistake. "Let go!" Iris yelled. She didn't give them a chance to comply, instead kicked one in the stomach, then pulled free of the other.

Running after the rolling bag, Iris jumped forward to grab it. Once she reached it and tried to pick it up, she found another person pulling on it. Seeing the person's crazed eyes and dark outfit, Iris was sure of who it was. "You'd better let-" she began, but then a smoke bomb went off. Iris coughed as she was caught off guard, and loosened her grip on the bag, losing it. Iris waved her hand in front of her face and blinked her eyes, but she still couldn't see anything.

Eventually the smoke cleared, and Iris saw many Team Plasma members spread out everywhere in the confusion. It looked like there were less than before, but Iris couldn't be sure if even those that remained were loyal. "Damn it," Iris swore. As she looked up at Ghetsis, she couldn't help but feel guilty. "Dad, it was one of those shadow triad members! They took it from me!"

"Are you sure, Iris?" Ghetsis said in a low voice, moving next to her. "You know those three are loyal to me."

"I am sure. I recognized him. And who were those two that made me drop your gift in the first place?" Iris said, looking around. She couldn't really tell who it was. She had been more interested in getting back Zekrom's sealed stone.

Don't worry, Iris," Ghetsis assured. "I will get the dark stone back, for you. You are the one I've chosen as my heir, far surpassing that boy, and the only one I can count on help to accomplish what I've set out to do."

"I'm sorry, Dad," Iris said, then looked up with determination. "I won't just depend on you! There's only one place they can go with that thing, right?"

Ghetsis nodded. "Well, I can't always advise you best, as you know. You do what you believe needs to be done."

.

Reaching the base of the tower, Iris stared up to the top. It looked like a long climb. "Are you sure he's here?" she asked, turning to the Plasma grunts beside her.

"Yes, Lady Iris," one of them said. "The traitors said they think reviving the legendary pokemon is N's right as king."

"Then this is the place to go." Iris looked up, again observing the top of the tower, which almost seemed to touch the clouds, though Iris knew from her experiences flying nearby that it didn't, and that was only an illusion. "Alright," Iris said, throwing out her pokeball. "Go, Unfezant!" she ordered.

"Lady Iris?"

"What do you plan to do?"

"What should we do?" Iris's allies questioned.

Iris pointed to the entrance to the tower. "You all can climb it. I'll fly up there myself. I'm not going to let N get there first if I can help it."

The group nodded, and Iris hung onto Unfezant as it flew up, circling the large tower. As they went up, she observed the ground, with the water, and then looked toward the sky. The tower looked even higher from this close angle. As for the tower itself, the broken stone here there on the outside, lack of glass on the windows, and holes in the walls and there made it appear as old as legends claimed it was.

As they reached the top, Iris was pleased to see a particularly large hole, certainly enough to fit her and Unfezant. She let go, dropping to the ground. Looking around, Iris saw nothing, but then heard footsteps. Her group couldn't have reached the top, at least not this quickly. Iris returned Unfezant to its pokeball, then stood ready with another. Soon enough, the source of the footsteps came into sight, alone. "Good morning, N," Iris greeted.

"Oh? Iris, good morning," N greeted. Though their words were pleasant, Iris glared at N, while he avoided eye contact, leaving the atmosphere overall chilling. N glanced toward the staircase. "Should I send for my helpers?" he said.

"If you want to waste your time. You know I'll beat them up right away!" Iris declared.

"I suppose so. You are a master of exploiting pokemon for your own means," N said.

"What about you?" Iris said, narrowing her eyes. "You just want to be seen as some kind of savior by forcing the world to change in such a dramatic way!"

"That's not at all my intention," N said. "Didn't you already know that, Iris?" N clenched the bag he was holding tighter as he frowned. "We discussed my goal, didn't we? And you agreed. You even wanted to help me."

"Then I got out of the pokemon world, and out of the human world! Now I just live in the real world with everyone else! Why don't you come and join us already?!"

N didn't respond to Iris's demanding questions, only stared at the bag he was holding. "The world I spoke of does exist, Iris," he said.

"Show it me, then," Iris dared.

"I will," N said with a nod. "I promise. Even if I have to create it myself, I'll find it."

N walked toward the alter in the middle of the room. Once he was there, he removed the dark stone from the bag. "Hey, give it back!" Iris demanded. She approached N and grabbed at his arm. "This was supposed to be mine! You can't get anywhere without stealing, can you?"

"Zekrom belongs only to itself," N said, neither shaking Iris away, nor loosening his own grip on the stone. "Do you really believe that Zekrom would stay with either one of us if it preferred not to?"

"I guess not," Iris said, realizing N's point, but still hanging onto the stone herself.

"So then, let's allow it to chose its path itself," N said. "It's the same as what you'd do, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Let's do it, then," Iris said. Together with N, she lifted the stone up, and then let go of it at the very next second. As it touched the alter, it began to glow brighter. There was a sudden bright flash. Iris covered her eyes, then opened them. It took them a second to adjust, but then she was sure that the pokemon floating above her and N was indeed the one of legend. "Ah!" Iris said, then laughed happily.

N also smiled widely. "Zekrom. It's good to have been able to release you from your human created prison," he said. Zekrom roared loudly in response, stretching out its arms as if to show pleasure in its free state. "Zekrom, won't you help me? I want to free all my pokemon friends, the same as I've just done with you."

Zekrom peered down at N as if carefully considering his request. "No, wait!" Iris said, stomping her foot. "Zekrom, listen to me. I'm the one who can really be your new hero! I want to change the world in a way that's really possible. I can really help you to reach an ideal world!"

"Zekrom," N continued, getting back the pokemon's attention. "I won't argue with my sister's declaration of what's 'possible'. I've heard from others what I want is really impossible. Even if it looks like they might be right, I'll keep trying to fight for my vision anyway! I'll change what 'possible' looks like!"

"Don't be stupid!" Iris yelled.

"Zekrom!" N continued, raising his voice to match hers. "I won't begrudge you if you refuse me. But understand, I want to reshape the world to what it should be, not what humans have decided it is!" N calmed himself, smiling as he reached out a hand in the large pokemon's direction. "Won't you help me reach that ideal?"

Zekrom roared. N and Iris put up their hands as it flew around the room, then landed with a thump on the ground. Looking up, Iris let out a cry as she saw that it was right next to her brother. She bit her lip and frowned, not otherwise responding to the turn of events.

N appeared to whisper to Zekrom, and Zekrom responded with another pokemon cry. N gazed confidently over at Iris. "Zekrom says it can see that I'm a person who truly upholds my ideals."

Hearing N answer her unspoken question of 'why', Iris only felt further frustrated. She would also guess Zekrom was saying something like that, but still hated that idea. The fact remained that Zekrom hadn't chosen her, and Iris didn't want to be so flippant as to argue with the legendary pokemon about that decision. Especially not if N would continue to 'translate' how he saw fit.

"Shut up, N," Iris muttered. She took out a pokeball. First just one, but then two. Holding one in each hand up into the air, she raised her voice. "I won't give up on my goal either! Not ever! Go, Haxorus, Unfezant!"

Haxorus came out of its pokeball in front of Iris, while Unfezant flew behind. Iris grabbed onto Unfezant, then looked at Haxorus, proud of how it didn't even flinch in front of the legendary pokemon. "Haxorus! Dragon dance!" Iris ordered.

"Iris," N said, shaking his head. "You want to continue to fight me, even now?"

"Did you think I'd give up just because Zekrom took your side?" Iris questioned. "Plenty of other people have, and it never stopped me, because I know I'm right! Get ready to battle, if you think having a legendary pokemon will improve your trainer skills any."

"Zekrom," N said, exchanging glances with his new friend. He sighed, then pointed forward to begin the battle.

"Haxorus, dragon tail!" Iris shouted.

Haxorus hit Zekrom with its tail, knocking the legendary pokemon away only a little while Zekrom gave Haxorus a full blast of the dragon breath attack. Iris shouted in fright, hanging on tightly to Unfezant as she saw Haxorus take the direct hit. Her pokemon shouted in pain, but still glared up at Zekrom. "Haxorus, slash attack!"

"I'm sorry, Haxorus, my friend, but this is necessary. Once more, Zekrom," N ordered.

Haxorus landed a seemingly ineffectual attack, then took another direct attack itself, knocked out with just that second hit. Iris quickly returned it. As she was getting her second pokeball, N approached Zekrom, patting its side, and then turned to her. "That's enough, Iris," N said. "This battle is wholly pointless, as are most you've engaged in."

"I'm not going to listen to you anymore, I'm just going to beat you!" Iris said. "Even if you have the legendary pokemon, I can still win easily!"

"What will that prove?" N asked.

"It'll leave no doubts I'm better than you, right? Then I'll be the Queen of Team Plasma in everyone's eyes!" Iris said. N shook his head and got on Zekrom. As they were about to leave, Iris took out another pokeball and threw it. "Go, Hydreigon!" Iris shouted. As Hydreigon appeared, Iris pointed forward at the soon departing N. Grabbing hold of Unfezant, she followed Hydreigon as it chased Zekrom and N out of the tower.

"Dragon pulse!" Iris shouted. As Hydreigon spit the powerful energy out of its mouth, it grazed Zekrom. N turned around, as did Zekrom, and hit Hydreigon with its dragon breath attack. Both trainers ordered their pokemon to repeat the same attack, and Iris again shouted as her Hydreigon appeared to faint. Returning it quickly, Iris tried to reach for the next pokeball, though it was more difficult to get the right pokeball while trying to grip onto Unfezant with her other arm.

It didn't matter, as there was a flash of lightening. Iris shouted as it hit her too, and tried to stay conscious. She grabbed the pokeball quickly, returning Unfezant. Now all that was left was her, plummeting toward the ground. Iris closed her eyes and braced herself. It wouldn't take long.

Instead of feeling the shock of impact, Iris felt someone grab her arm, pulling her upward. Then there was the continued sensation of falling, though slower. As Iris felt her feet touch the ground lightly, she opened her eyes, and saw that N had been the one to catch her. Iris shook off his grip, then fell over, still woozy from being hit with the pokemon attack herself.

Iris forced herself to her feet as N landed nearby. "I'm sorry, Zekrom," N said. "I couldn't allow her to be hurt to that extent."

"Don't think it's okay to just talk about me like I'm not there," Iris declared.

N turned back and faced Iris directly. "Well then, that's enough now, don't you agree?" he asked.

"No," Iris said, shaking her head fervently, finally finding her next pokeball. "Go, Lapras!" she shouted, then pointed forward to Zekrom right away as her pokemon appeared. "Ice Beam!"

Lapras's musical call echoed through the air, soon drown out by Zekrom's own loud call as the ice beam hit. Directly after that, Zekrom drew forward a large amount of electricity, knocking out Lapras with the attack.

Iris returned Lapras, then sniffed only once before taking out the next pokeball. "Druddigon! It's your turn!" she said.

"Iris, that's really enough," N said.

"Dragon tail attack!" Iris shouted at druddigon, ignoring him.

Druddigon moved forward, swinging its tail toward Zekrom. Before it hit, Zekrom's dragon breath engulfed the smaller dragon type.

"Druddigon!" Iris called. Her pokemon still stood tall, the same as her, wanting to continue this battle. "Let's go!" she said, almost tripping as she stepped forward. "Druddigon..." she began, then blinked, trying to better focus on the scene in front of her. "Druddigon..." she continued, trying to remember what attack she was going to use. Zekrom called out loudly again, and it only made her head hurt. As Iris reached her hand up, she began to teeter.

A warm, familiar person reached out and embraced her. Iris relaxed, she knew it wasn't N. Concordia looked down at her, a sad, calm expression on her face. She soon looked up at N. "It's over now, isn't it? You have Zekrom."

"I've been trying to tell her that it was time to end the battle all along," N said.

"It's not-" Iris began.

Concordia put her other arm around Iris, embracing her and sighing quietly. "It's over, Iris. There's no more need to fight," she said.

"No," Iris muttered. "I still have one pokemon left." Though she spoke these words, her gumption had left her. Iris had been running on pure adrenaline, even with how badly she'd been hurt from taking Zekrom's attack while flying with Unfezant. But now it was no use, Concordia's presence had relaxed her, then had her fall into her own exhaustion, the injuries catching up with her.

"We'll go tend to the injuries of you and your pokemon, alright?" Concordia said.

Iris pushed her sister away, then tried to walk forward. As she reached for a pokeball, she fell. Iris put her hand on the ground, trying to push herself back up. "Fine, Concordia," Iris agreed quietly as she finally found Druddigon's pokeball and returned the pokemon. Then Iris shouted, starting to speak again. "Don't get so cocky, N! I'll be back to battle you again!" she declared.

Silently and with a sad expression, Concordia reached out her hand to Iris. Leaning against her sister as they walked along the road Iris wondered what she could tell her allies. Beyond that, she also had to talk to Ghetsis. How disappointed would he be, knowing that Iris absolutely couldn't help him?


End file.
